


Dangerous Minds

by BePassionate24



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bamon, Dark Character, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction, Romance, Sexual Content, Stelena, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Violence, forwood, the vampire diaries - Freeform, tvd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 04:07:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 28
Words: 114,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2296031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BePassionate24/pseuds/BePassionate24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. All Human. When his daughter goes missing without a trace. A troubled FBI agent will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tracking down the alluring and menacing woman who has been eluding his task force for years. A woman who's heartbreaking past they both share. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena, Forwood,Bamon,Hayley/Elijah,Klaus/OC) *COMPLETED*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey all! So, I decided that since I'm wrapping up one of my stories in the next week. I wanted to post this new story. It is ALL HUMAN and AU. It is a VERY DARK and really different storyline than most of anything I've written before and it will have an M rating because the storyline will be dealing with some pretty intense things. I will be placing warnings on the chapters that become a bit heavy with certain content.**

**There are a few characters that I won't be including in this story at all: (Katherine, Jeremy and Matt) Although, there are going to be a few characters that I have created which will be popping up throughout the storyline as they mingle with some of our TVD favorites that will be making an appearance throughout this story too. So, keep an eye out for them!**

**I wanted to thank a few of you who have helped give me ideas, listened to my crazy thoughts for this story and who have been so supportive of it. Thank you to my awesome writer buddies and twitter friends: Flowing_lantern , AimzFrancis , JRdrgzXO, samanthamckenny. You all are so beyond amazing and I'm so thankful for you. Please check out their wonderful stories as well. :)**

**With that being said if anyone hasn't seen the trailer I made for this story feel free to check it out here: watch?v=KvWsI4bkBL0**

**Thanks so much for reading & enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries!**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Prologue-**

_Elude: evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way._

**-Elena-**

There's something alluring about the darkness that surrounds a city just a little around 3 in the morning. Peaceful and quiet. Barely anyone filling the streets. All that roams the night are stray animals and a few stray cars heading to an unknown destination. And, for me- this city and this town- is my very own safe haven.

My dark brown hair blows in the wind as I close my eyes tightly and feel the ice cold breeze cause my skin to become chilled. Although the quiet and peaceful moment is cut short as a knock on the door breaks my concentration. My heart instant pounds against my chest like a nail being hit into a piece of wood. _'Thump...Thump...Thump...'_ The noise continues to hit my ear drums and as much as I want to block it out, I know that I can't. My racing heart beat and sweaty palms are now something that I've become accustomed to in the last few years. Although, late night visitors are never a good sign, especially when you're attempting to stay as low key as I have been for the last few months. I'm a woman who's wanted in more than one state for crimes that I can't really tell you if I've committed or not. Although, I'm accused of many things. No one has ever admitted their true sins and I won't start now.

All I can say is that no one misses me and no one seems to give a damn that I've been gone for as long as I have. I don't have much family, no brother or sister. My parents died when I was just a few years old and I was bounced around from unfit foster parents to an aunt named Jenna in Austin, Texas until I turned 18 and she kicked me out, for various reasons.

The sound of my name leaving my visitors lips makes me freeze near the door as he shouts out for me to open it. My heart sinks into my stomach as my mind screams his name. _"Owen!"_

Owen Thompson is the definition of everything that I never wanted and yet, somehow his kind of troubling personality came knocking on my door and I invited him inside. Just like I'm do in the moment. My trembling hands fumble with the door handle and once it opens, his hazel eyes burn into mine. He leans against the door frame, tasseled hair and a brown leather jacket hanging off of his 6'2 frame as he smirks without saying anything. I take a step back, more fearful than happy to see him. Even if there was once a time in my life where I was weak and vulnerable, looking for someone to save me from myself and being so damn naive that caused me to fall into his clutches. Now, I can't stand the sight of him. Maybe because back then I was heartbreak, alone and afraid. Thinking the whole time I was running from my past that Owen and I could actually be something amazingly reckless together.

"Where have you been?" He asks me, licking his lips as my hands begin to shake and my fingers slip away from the door handle. "Avoiding you." I comment bluntly, feeling his short fingernails dig into my skin as he grabs a hold of me and slams the door shut behind us. The sound of it causes my body to stiffen. Owen must sense it, the fear he's instilled in me because my eyes don't meet his as he inspects the room and inhales deeply. "Nice place, for someone who's trying to lay low."

"It's all I could afford. Ran out of money for right now." I reply back, not wanting to turn my back towards him because I'm afraid of what he'll do to me if I can't see his body language.

"You ran away from me in Prague, Elena. After you robbed a bank and took as much money as you could stuff into your bag. Clearly, it wasn't enough and I truly wasn't really expecting that. You know how inconvenient your little jail break stunt has been for me?" Owen asks me harshly, watching my dark brown eyes begin to water as he adds pressure against my skin at the thought of what I had done to him just three weeks earlier after I had told him that we were over.

"I did what I had to do to survive, Owen. You should try it sometimes." I comment with a small smirk, feeling as he releases his grasp and just when I think he's done with me and ready to leave. He screams without even caring if he awakens anyone in the building this early in the morning. "You think you can run from me! Is that it? Do you think that you can hide under pretty buildings and fake names? I know who you really are and all I have to do is tell them the truth, every single one of them that is out there looking for you. All those police officers, they will come and when they do. I will gladly turn you in!"

My face turns towards him, contorted with a hint of annoyance. I didn't want him involved in this to begin with. Although, he wedge his way into my life when I was barely 18 years old, looking for someone to protect me from everything that was going to swallow me alive. Owen was there, with a helping hand and kind words. He's older, much older than me and I've always looked at him with a certain kind of pity. He could have any girl he wants and yet, he choose to stay by my side until I screwed him over and took off.

"You make it sound like your working for them." I laugh it off, trying to not suspect him. However, I've learned that I can't trust anyone but myself in these last few months and trusting Owen again could cost me my life this time. I can't go to prison, I'm not cut out for it. Trust is a funny thing, standing in front of him and making him believe that we're on the same side is an illusion. Because deep down in my heart and in my bones, I know that something just isn't right here and that I need to manipulate him enough to be able to leave this room in one piece.

He stops for a minute, standing against the door and leaning to his left side to wipe a streak of dust off of the cherry wood colored end table beside him, lifting his fingers and examining it in the light just a little. "You promised me half of that money. Sweetheart, I'm here to collect what's mine." He says with a malicious glance, watching me squirm a little under his heavy gaze. I know that look in his eyes, because I've seen it many times before. I know that he's here because I did him wrong and now, I'm going to pay for it.

"You know what I do to people who steal from me, Elena?" He questions as my eyes narrow down to the small snagged string of my white lacy colored blouse that I had bought just a few days ago.

"No." I reply back, my tone shaky with a hint of underlined fear.

"I collect my debts and then I make sure that they remember, never to cross me again!" He shouts as he steps in front of me. I don't see it coming. However, I feel the impact of his hand hitting my face when he back hands me so hard that I fall to the ground and my short nails dig into the carpet. I try to get up and regain my balance all the while, tasting the metallic liquid dripping from the side of my cheeks and into my mouth, a deep red bruise will appear in no time. My eyes shift downward and I notice my own blood is forming a dark red pool of crimson red underneath my hands as Owen fists my hair into the space between his fingers and hisses into my ear with a warning tone while pulling my head back forcefully so that my eyes are level with his. "Now do you see why you shouldn't have left?"

My whimpering cries are swallowed down as fear begins to build into my throat. He's going to kill me. I thought I knew the reason he was here so late at night and I should have never opened the door for him. Although, the once weak and vulnerable, lonely girl I once was took over and the need for companionship drove my actions.

"Please, let me go. Please, let me go." My pleas for freedom are hitting a brick wall between us because what he does next causes me to shout out in pain. Owen throws me on the bed, leaning down and stroking my cheek as he grins widely and closes his eyes. "You think you'll get away from me like you did everyone else? It's not that simple, Elena...We're in this together. Don't you remember, darling?" He questions, leaning down and stroking my cheek again as he inhales my scent and I hear a rattling noise echo into the room. The sound of his belt buckle clatters together and just as I open my eyes, he's undressing himself with a smile, starting with his belt buckle and then slowly unbuttoning his dark blue shirt.

"How about I remind you what it feels like to be loved?" He asks, turning away from me as my unsteady legs lift up from the bed and I scan the room for anything to protect myself with. Owen Thompson was supposed to be my savior. Although now I realize that I need to be my own to survive whatever pain he's going to inflict upon me.

The minute he turns around and notices me holding the gun, his eyes suddenly change as my fingers hover over the trigger and I stare icily at him. "I don't think that's going to work out so well for you, Owen. You see. You're working with people that I can't trust and that is a problem for me." I comment, pulling the trigger which doesn't move as he lets out a sinister laugh and wiggles the bullet casing in front of my face. "Looking for these, darling. How stupid are you?"

"Looks like your little plan just blew up in your face." He says, turning his back as I cautiously pick up a heavy vase that's on the nightstand near the bed and I watch him head towards the door. We're just inches apart and if I aim the crystal vase directly at his head, I won't kill him. But, maybe I can knock him out so that I have enough time to run.

He turns back to me, eyebrows furrowed and a wicked smile on his face and just as he begins to open his mouth, I throw it at him. The clear crystal vase fly's across the room and hits the side of his head, sending his heavy set body to the ground with a loud thump and causing a large bloody gash on the side of his forehead. Once he's immobilized I lean over him and grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him up by his hair just like he had done to me. The room is dead silent as I whisper into his ear. "This is for ruining my life." I tell him, pulling my arm back and punching him hard enough in the face to where I can hear a few bones crack under the pressure, not even really sure or caring if it's my own bones that I've fractured or his.

* * *

"La signorina si prega di aprire la porta!" I hear them screaming for me to open the door in Italian a their footsteps get closer and I heave out a breath, the sun coming up through thin white blinds in the room. My skin is crawling, my knuckles bloodied from punching Owen and my eyes are looking for an escape. This wasn't supposed to happen like this, none of this was supposed to happen like this. But, here we are and here I am ready to start running from my past, from everything that once kept me grounded.

"Aprire la porta!" An older gentlemen with a slight off setting tone of voice shouts against the door as he takes a step back and I feel my body fall against it for support. I'm exhausted and I can feel it in my bones. I've been up all night and the adrenaline from Owen finding me has got my stomach in knots and my nerves and emotions all over the damn place. They'll accuse me, they won't see it as self defense and the worse part of it all is that they'll say that I hit him over the head on purpose. If he dies, I'll be thrown in a prison cell and I'll surely rot there for the rest of my natural life.

I take a moment, biting down on my lower lip and exhaling heavily while gliding my fingers through my disheveled brown matted locks of hair. I haven't slept well because I knew he was going to find me. I've been waiting for this moment for months. The man that I had trusted and believed was helping me in my search for the one person my heart aches for has now crossed a line.

The loud dinging noise on his cell phone makes an ear piercing sound which causes my heart to beat a bit faster. _"Is it done?"_ Is the only thing the message on his phone from a woman listed in his contacts as Lexi Brason reads in English as I rub my face vigorously with my hands. I loved him and he betrayed me. Ever since he first came into my life as someone who said would help me in finding who I'm desperately searching for, part of me knew that I could never really trust him. By then, I was looking to be someone else and in a tourist town of central Italy. I was someone completely different than who I had left behind long ago- back home in Mystic Falls, Virginia.

As I watch the crimson color of his blood drip down on the cream colored carpeting and off of my thin olive toned skin, bile begins to rise at the base of my throat. I've become someone who can't be redeemed. I'm the anti hero and everything about me in the moment yells and screams _"Murderer!"_ But, I'm not what the scene in front of my eyes suggestions. I'm not a monster and deep down in the pit of my core. I'm not this dark and soulless person who I've turned myself into. Italy was supposed to be my escape. It was supposed to be a place where I could be someone else and not have to worry about ever facing my painful and haunting past again. Although, I should have known that it was never going to last too long because good things never really do. After leaving Virginia and running away from the things that I never wanted to think about again. I found a tranquil small town to settle into near Florence. Owen however had promised to make my life a living hell all the while. And, that is exactly what he had managed to do when he found me before dawn and ripped me out of my comfort zone.

I glance down now at his lifeless body and try not to think about how I knocked him out cold with a heavy glass flower vase and my own knuckles. A small part of me keeps telling myself that he's breathing. But, I haven't bent down to check for a pulse. I'm fearful of leaving my prints behind on anything, even if they are covering nearly every square inch of this hotel room. Yet, a small part of me knows that I need to make sure that I didn't kill him. Leave no evidence behind has been the thing that I've learned while attempting to make a new life for myself wherever I go. That's been coursing through my whole body as I shake at the thought of what this aftermath will do to me. They'd arrest me, accuse me of killing a man that I once thought I loved and would support me in finding the one thing that's causing a gaping and empty spot in my heart. Sadly, no will ever know the real the truth. The torment and pain that he had caused me when all I was trying to do was run far away from my broken hearted past that lead me down dark roads in my life, the moment when I had turned to him for help because I had no one else! Although, it's clear to me now that someone else had meddled in our affairs and Owen has been playing both sides of whatever twisted game this is.

My quick thinking and conning skills kick in as I run towards the bathroom, glancing up at the small mirror in it and removing the splattered blood from my face and my chin. I comb my hair back with my fingertips and gently exhale, preparing myself for the scene of a lifetime. If I make them believe that everything's fine and there isn't a reason to panic. It'll give me enough time to leave this room and escape, hopefully undetected. My eyes close and my hands tremble as the floor creaks underneath my bare feet and I glance back at the messy state of the room. I took some time to move Owen and lean his unconscious body against the bed. He's slumped over, almost looking like he had just hit his head and now he's sleeping it off. I could lie and say he fell while heavily intoxicated. I could spin this anyway I want until I see that spark in their eyes of some acknowledgment that I'm speaking the truth.

"Ma'am, this is the police. Open the door right now before I kick it down!" A British speaking older man is heard yelling as I slowly open the door just half way and poke my head out, giving him a curious and flirty glance.

"Is everything alright?" He questions, attempting to look past me as I lift my hand up and close the door behind me, leaning against it and smiling a little foolishly. My brown eyes are dancing with how many ways this is about to go.

"Yes sir. Everything is just fine. My boyfriend came by and he likes to play a little rough. One thing lead to another and well, we got a little kinky and intimate last night." I wink at him, moving a chunk of my hair in front of my neck, trying to hide the bruising that I'm pretty sure has already began forming.

"We got a call from the lobby saying to come up and check on this room. A noise compliant with screaming and what sounded like arguing. So, um. Where is your boyfriend?" He asks with an intense dark blue green gaze.

I shrug my shoulders back, keeping my hands tightly fastened around the knob of the door handle, giving him one of those innocent batting my eyelashes glances. "He's sleeping it off. Must of worn him out. Listen, we got a little too crazy together and I'm sorry about the noise. I'll make sure that we keep it down tonight. Besides, we're in Italia. It's too romantic not to get a little crazy." I add in with a wink and try to keep the suspicion they have that I can feel building around me, far away as possible.

"Can I come in to just check things out?" He asks me. I freeze, the tension in my body increases and my heart beat feels as if it's pumping blood at such a high rate that I can't breathe properly.

"You'd wake him and he's not very nice and sweet when he's awoken so suddenly. Listen, Mr..." My voice trails off, fishing for a name and trying to find out as much as I can about this guy.

He coughs out a breath, flashing his badge in front my face. "I'm not the local authorities, Ma'am. I'm the FBI and I'm looking for someone, my informant. He was heading to this very hotel to visit a woman, whose name or appearance I didn't catch because the phone cut us off when he was telling me about her. Long story short, he has yet to report back to me and it has been a few hours."

Maybe he senses it in my facial expression, in the way my body becomes numb and stiffens as his words rattle around in my mind. _FBI...Looking for someone...Informant...Owen..._

I smile a little, hiding the sheer terror that I'm feeling in my bones and in every ounce of my muscles as I lean forward and grin. "Well, if you're asking me if I've seen him. I haven't and I'm sorry. Now, I really should get back to taking a shower." I wink at him again over my shoulder, pivoting back to the door as he out stretches his hand and I feel his soft skin brush against my arm.

"If you hear anything else or see a young man with blonde hair and bright hazel eyes walking around here. Please, call me." He adds in, turning away and leaving with the group of two house keepers that had come down to the hallway with him because of all the noise that was being heard.

My shaking hand is firmly placed on the white sticky painted door as I watch them leave. I don't open the room back up until they're gone out of my view and I'm left with his business card. I shut the door fast and lean my back against it, exhaling deeply and trying to stop my rapidly beating heart from feeling like it's going to jump right out of my damn chest as I finally read his card out loud. **_"Agent Klaus Mikaelson. Federal Bureau of Investigations. "_**

After a few short minutes of trying to collect my thoughts. I walk back towards the bed and lean down, checking his pulse with the slightest touch from the tip of my fingers. There's a light thumping against my middle finger and I'm thankful that he's still alive. I didn't kill him- that was never my intention. I did injury him though and to be utterly honest that is all I wanted.

"FBI informant. You son of a bitch!" I exclaim, shaking my head and catching the reflection of a small piece of paper that is tucked away inside of his jacket pocket. It's fallen out and laying against his blood soaked chest while I slowly lean forward and grab it, pulling back from Owen and standing up straight as I move away from him. Standing near the door as I examine the photo in my hands that I had taken from his jacket. My throat closes from the pressure of a sudden rush that's making it hard to breathe as my eyes sweep over the image. I can't explain it, all I know is that I'm struggling to feel anything at all, any emotion that is remotely human like.

The palms of my hands are becoming sweaty fast when I lock my eyes on to the room and quickly run through it, grabbing everything I can and shoving it all into a large black duffel bag. The idea of no turning back runs through my mind as I step over Owen and shake my head at him, leaning down and checking his pockets for anything else that I can find. I take a few more things from him, money, a key that looks fairly important. The photo that's dated from 6 years ago has an address on the back of it and that little information alone compels me to place it right into my pocket for safe keeping.

With disappointment filling my mind. I open the door to the hotel, throwing my hair up and tucking it underneath a dark blue hoodie as my steps quicken down the stairs and I make it to the first floor, exiting the lobby without even checking out. It won't matter once they find him, none of this will. Because, I'll be far away from here by then and he hopefully won't remember a thing. My head is spinning as I place a pair of sunglasses over my eyes while I finally make it the busy street corner. Hailing a cab and watching it come to a stop in front of me. I open the door and throw my bag in first, sliding into the back seat while the younger man asks me in Italian where I want to go. I sigh out a breath, closing my eyes and clutching the picture that I had stolen off of Owen as I glance down at it and reply. "Take me to the airport."

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 1 will have a flashback to 6 years earlier..All will be explained throughout the story and we will be learning a lot about Elena and why she is this dark and vicious character.**

**Please don't forget to favorite, follow and leave a comment if you like this story. Since this is just the prologue I don't want to write more for it unless I get enough people interested. :)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates to my other stories at: BePassionate_24**

 


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. When his daughter goes missing without a trace. A troubled FBI agent will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tracking down the alluring and menacing woman who has been eluding his task force for years. A woman who's heartbreaking past they both share. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena, Forwood,Bamon,Hayley/Elijah,Klaus/OC)

**A/N: Hey all! I just wanted to mention a few things. These first few chapters are going to focus a lot on Stefan and Elena. However, there will be Bamon and Forwood in this story too and with a lot of other TVD and "original characters" whom I've created that will be coming into the mix of it all as well.**

**With that being said. Chapter 1 starts off 6 YEARS EARLIER for a reason! I will be keeping the story at this time frame for a while until certain things are revealed. We will be seeing Stefan, Tyler, Caroline, Rebekah and Elena as teenagers who are getting to be almost done with high school. With the exception of Bonnie and Damon who are 9 years older than everyone else. Also, Klaus and a few others will be older too. Again, for those of you who are wondering...Everything has a reason in this story, which will all be revealed within time. ;)  
**

**Alright, enough of my rambling...Enjoy guys and thank you so much for reading, favoriting and following this roller coaster ride of a fanfiction!**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter One- **

… _ **..6 YEARS EARLIER...**_

**-Stefan-**

"I heard that the new guy went to a juvenile detention center, escaped after hitting one of the guards over the head with a shovel." A perky looking blonde girl with a loud British accent states to another dark haired brunette who's clinging on to her class textbooks, leaning against the silver colored lockers in the large and vast unoccupied school hallway as she shrugs her shoulders, looking completely uninterested in what the blonde is even chatting about.

"And, so what if he did. Come on, Rebekah. I highly doubt that even happened. He looks harmless to me." She tells her, tilting her head to the side and catching me staring at her as she smiles and waves.

"All I'm saying is that my older brother works as a police officer, Elena. Why did he come in here rubbing his wrists and looking a bit dazed. Maybe his punishment is being stuck in this town." Rebekah tells her as I watch her shake her head and just when she's about to add more, the bell rings above us, signaling the start of my second period.

"Klaus isn't a cop yet, Bexs. He's still in school and as far as your theory goes. I'll ask him myself if I see him!" I overhear them loudly speak as the hallway begins to fill up with students and the young girl named Elena makes her way into the same class room as me, stepping ahead of me briskly and immediately chatting it up with a girl in one the desks beside her.

"The start of the junior year from hell!" A tall athletic built, brown haired and dark brown eyed guy in a red and gray stripped football jersey exclaims the minute I step into class. I watch from near the door as he waves over to the brunette and she smiles at him, taking a seat near him and placing her hand on top of his while she leans over and gives him a quick kiss.

"Ugh, get a room!" Someone shouts as she turns around and laughs a little. "You're just jealous that Tyler and I are happy together." She says with a joking tone as she tells a girl named Claire who seems to know her well.

"So, which one of you is going to prom this year?" Claire asks her. She's this long legged, red hair and pretty blue eyed girl and if I wasn't the new guy, I'd probably ask her out. I watch her carefully as she looks around the room and sighs. "I still need a date."

"You should go with..." the girl, who've I've learned is named Elena. Makes her voice trail off and right as she lifts her hand up and begins to point to me, our history teacher waltz into the room with a beaming smile on her face. "Good morning everyone! Welcome to American History. Please, miss Gilbert. Take your seat." She instructs.

My eyes shift away from my textbook and to the sound of someone moving a desk, the screeching noise stops as my gaze slowly lifts up to meet her brown glance and she smiles shyly before turning in my direction. "I hope you don't mine me sitting in front of you." I swallow my words down as the vanilla scent of Elena's perfume swirls around my head and all I'm able to say out loud is. "Not at all."

She smiles once more, a knowing glance in her eyes as she turns to me and states fairly bluntly, quietly leaning forward as the older gray haired woman in front of us begins the class lecture. "Everyone in this town thinks you transferred here from California because you killed someone and ended up in Juvenile hall. They're all scared of you."

I can't help but laugh, folding my hands on top of the desk as I lean into my chair and shake my head. "Well, if that's what they all think about me. I'd be curious to find out what you think about me then?"

"Maybe when we're properly introduced at the bonfire this weekend that's happening in Fairfax. I'll let you know." She tells me, turning back into her seat and ripping out a piece of paper from her notebook as she jots down an address and phone number. I can feel the blonde guy who was holding her hand earlier glaring at us when she turns back around and says. "I'm Elena by the way and here's the address. Hopefully you can make it."

Her hand is soft and warm as I capture it into mine and we loosely shake hands. Elena licks her lips, quickly going back to paying attention to our teacher who looks not so pleased about the way Elena's acting, although she shakes it off quickly and continues to listen to the lecture all the way up until the bell blares into the classroom and we all quickly disperse from our seats and head towards our next classes. My attention turns back to her as she slaps the brown haired guys chest and giggles out his name. "Tyler! I was being nice to him. Besides, I'm sure he could use a friend. Maybe we can even get him to be Claire's date for the upcoming prom this year or he can be your co captain on the football team."

* * *

We always had Sunday dinners together as a kid growing up in California. But, then my mom died and not too long after, dad got remarried to a woman named Annie whom Damon and I used to joke was the step mother from hell. The moment our mother died from an anorexic disorder that she had been fighting with since her early teens. Damon and I watched our father fall apart, everything he knew changed and so did our lives. I started doing things that weren't very smart like smoking pot and smarting off to my teachers in class. Fighting as much as I could with almost anyone that set me off. On the other hand, Damon. My older and much wiser brother who is 9 years older than I am. Decided to throw himself into his school work. Just last year at 26 years old, he graduated top of his class at the Marine Corps base in _Quantico_ , Virginia where all the newly made FBI agents are housed.

Three weeks ago Damon married his long time college sweetheart, Bonnie Bennett and the two of them moved out here because of his training for the FBI academy. Leaving my father devastated and me longing for my best friend. So, you'd imagine my surprise when Damon called my father right after the honeymoon and told him that he thought with my past history of making my way towards surely being in jail or worse. That he thought it would be best if I moved out to Virginia to live with him and his new bride, just until I start college.

"Our furniture hasn't really showed up yet from California. So, these will have to do." Bonnie tells me as she snaps me out of my day dreaming by tossing a white fluffy pillow in my direction while she sits down on the floor and exhales deeply. "So, how was the first day at your new school?" She asks me as she leans forward and hands me the salad that she made for dinner, along with the chicken and pasta.

"It went fine. I, um...People are talking about me already, Bon." I admit to her, watching her green eyes soften as she places a gentle hand on to my shoulder and squeezes softly.

"Kids are cruel these days. They'll talk about you until one day you just become old news. And, then whatever you did or whatever your history is. It will all just fade away and become a distant memory." Bonnie advises, sweetly smiling at me as she shovels a forkful of lettuce into her mouth, balsamic vinegar dripping down her chin. Bonnie finished school around the same time Damon did and she's just gotten a job at the local elementary school, being a first grade teacher.

She wipes her mouth, chewing her food and swallowing it down before she asks with a small laugh and a curious tone. "So, what are they saying you did back in Los Angeles?"

"They think I beat up a security guard and ran away from juvenile court. So, because of it all. Now, I'm living in this small town of Mystic Falls. Which is my punishment and my own personal hell." I comment, trying to stop myself from laughing. However, the things I just said out loud to her do sound fairly ridiculous and laughter does end up over coming both of us. I notice as Bonnie wipes away her tears from her face and sighs out a breath through. Her cheeks are beat red from laughing as I lean into her and add in. "I can't believe that out all the things they could think about me. The whole school things I'm a convict. I'm only 17 years old, come on. The worst thing that I've ever done was bust a guy's jaw during a fight."

"It could be worse." Bonnie states, wiping away her tears from her cheeks again and glancing down at her cell phone in hopes of her nightly phone calls with my brother.

After she catches me glancing down at her cell phone too. Bonnie clears her throat, running her fingers through her dark silky brown hair. "He'll call, Bonnie. It's only been a few days since he's been gone. I'm sure the new job just has him tied up in Washington, D.C. at the headquarters."

I watch her eyes close, her lips purse together and the atmosphere between us completely changes into something that is hard to place. "When I married him in October. I knew what I was going to be getting myself into. Being a wife of an up and coming FBI agent is like sitting on pins and needles. Because, I will never know what is going on between him and those guys at his job. Everything is 'confidential this and classified that.' I guess, I just thought that maybe moving here was going to be different somehow..." Her voice trails off as she leans forward and shakes her head, smiling a little as to lighten the mood. "I'm glad you're here with us and that your dad didn't refuse to allow it."

To be honest, I'm glad that I moved in with them too. I'd rather be living with my brother and his wife than my father and our step mother, Annie. Since our mom died and our father Giuseppe married her, I can't even stand to be in the same room as him. She's changed dad and certainly not for the better. Annie thinks that Damon and I should accept the fact that she's our mother and that we should love her as much as we loved our real mom. Also, she thinks that we just need to be one blended happy family with her daughter and her son. However, both of them piss Damon and I off so much that we've managed to somehow avoid every big family event and holiday just so that we don't have to see any of them for as long as we can put them off. It infuriates, Annie. But, we've decided that all we need for Christmas and Thanksgiving is the three of us. Bonnie, Damon and I.

The flashing of my brother's name and Bonnie's brisk movements of getting up with her cell phone in hand cause me to snap back into the moment as she answers her it with a giggly tone, spinning her hair in between her fingers like a small child does when they're nervous about something. I glance up from my plate of food, picking at the broccoli and moving the spinach around on my plate as Bonnie nods at me and lifts up her hand as I mouth to her that I can leave the room if she wants. She shakes her head _'no'_ quickly, excusing herself instead. My mind wonders what she must be talking about with my brother for the next few minutes because she's laughing, leaning her head back and sighing as she glances up at the sun setting in the distance on their small balcony outside.

"I think your little brother met someone at school today. But, he hasn't said anything about her just yet. Still waiting to pry it out of him. Also, I'm going to force him to go to this bonfire thing that someone invited him to this weekend. It'll be good for him, making friends here and getting to know people." She laughs as I pass by the sliding door that's ajar, making my towards the kitchen to put my leftovers in a tupperware bowl.

Bonnie's tone changes from mushy to instantly low and sad as I turn on the faucet and run my hands over the yellow dish through the warm water. What she says next breaks my heart into a million little pieces. "I got the results back from the doctors, Damon..." I can hear her voice crack even in the distance. It's the sound of pure disappointment within herself and I hate that I'm eavesdropping at such a critical time in their discussion. She closes her eyes, leaning back into the chair even more and I'm pretty sure that at this point she's crying because I look up just in time to notice her dabbing at her eyelids. "I was going to wait until you came home. But, I'm never sure when you're coming home anymore. So, I guess I'm just going to tell you right now over the phone because you need to know what they said." She pauses, letting out a heavy and shaky sigh before she adds in. "Honey, the doctors told me today that I can't have kids. Baby, I'm never going to be able to have kids." She tells him as she lets out a wailing cry and buries her face against her knees, still holding the phone tightly.

Swallowing down my sorrow for her and my brother's situation makes me cough out a breath as I shake my head and glance back over at the balcony where Bonnie's now curled up against one of their comfortable patio chairs, picking at a piece of string on her pants as she glances down at it and sniffles back the rest of her tears that won't stop falling, holding the cell phone between her shoulder and ear tightly while she continues to talk with my brother. I make my way out of the kitchen, passing by the sliding door and shutting it completely this time to give them some more privacy.

I can't get her words out of my head as I take one of the pillows that she had given me and place it up against the wall in their barely furnished apartment, leaning back into it and turning the television on for some sort of distraction. I can't stop hearing her crying outside and all I wish I could do is pull her into my embrace and tell that they'll find a way to have their own children. However, I know that my words would be a lie.

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Who the hell are you?" I ask her as the door to my childhood bedroom opens wide and I start watching as she straightens out her light yellow sun dress that comes down to her knees. I observe the moment she begins brushing her honey colored hair all to the left side of her shoulder. A huge 18 carat diamond wedding ring that looks fairly expensive accenting her other gold accessories when she smiles up at me, extending out her hand and giving me a minute to introduce myself properly to her. Although, the moment I don't do anything accept for stare at her with utter disgust. She finally speaks with a low voice. "My name's Jenna and I'm your biological aunt. Your mother Miranda was my sister and I also knew your father well. Elena, I'm here to make you an offer." She states, taking a few more steps into my room and starts looking it over as she examines it with a loud sigh. Pictures of my last two years of high school flood almost every wall. Posters of my favorite bands and other teenage girl things fill my room, my peaceful place.

"My parents died in a car accident when I was just a little girl. I'm 17 years old now. And, just when I stopped being bounced around from shitty unfit foster parents and distant relatives that I barely knew after five years. Uncle John and his wife, Jillian decided to take me in two years ago. I'm finally happy here and now, you show up telling me that we're related? Listen, lady. I don't give a damn about that and whatever the reason maybe why you decided to show up today. But, here's something you should know. I don't need you, I already have a family. So, you can turn right back around and go home." I spit out at her as she closes her eyes, clearly hurt by my words.

"I have other things to do and a bonfire to plan for this weekend. I don't have time to catch up with a stranger. Even if we are technically, family." I add in, just to piss her off even more as I try to brush past her. However, her firm grip catching my arm stops me in my tracks as she levels her eyes with mine and speaks with a firm tone. "Listen to me young lady. John is selling this house by the end of the year. Look, I know that you just started your Junior year with all of your friends and you are very popular at your school. However, I came to tell you that next year I'm hoping that you'll join me in Austin, Texas with my husband, Alaric. We can get your senior year going and off to a great start." She tells me with a soft smile and hopefulness in her eyes.

I shake my arm away from her, deadlocking my brown gaze on to her as hatred spews from them. "And why would I do that?" I snap.

Jenna takes a step back, crossing her arms over her chest and looking back behind her as I glance up with watery eyes and see John leaning against the door frame.

"Is it true?" My chin is quivering and my hands are holding my pink and white handled gym bag so tightly that my knuckles are turning a beat red color.

He takes a step in front of Jenna as she slowly excuses herself and John cautiously enters into my room. I can see the sorrow in their eyes for the little orphan girl that I am. It's the same look that he had given me at the funeral the afternoon we buried my father and my mother. Full of sorrow and anguish.

"Honey, I was going to tell you.." His voice trails off, urging me to sit down and hoping that I stay calm.

"You were going to tell me? When, Uncle John! When were you going to tell me that you and Jillian didn't want me anymore? When were you both going to sit me down and add in to my pain by selling the only house that I have ever known?" I shout out at him, dropping my bag and pacing the floor as I hear him heavily sigh out a breath.

"Elena, I am so sorry." He says with an apologetic tone as my eyes lift up to be narrowed with his and I feel myself glaring at him. "You can both go to hell! Maybe I will take Jenna up on her offer. Texas might be better for me than living in this shithole town with two people who clearly don't care about me as much as I thought they did." I scream at him, picking up my bag and rushing out of the bedroom as I hear him yell out after me. "Where are you going? You're still grounded young lady!"

I pivot on my heels, pointing my finger up at him as I scoff at his words. "I'm leaving this house and I won't come back until you both come to your senses. Neither of you are selling this place, it was in mom and dad's will. It's going to go to me once I'm old enough and get the money they left me!" I hiss out at him, descending down the stairs and not looking back as I run outside and towards the car that Jillian had bought for me last year when I turned 16.

My tremblings fingers dial his number in a hurry as I start the car and peel out of the driveway, tears cascading down my cheeks while I inhale deeply when he answers in a groggy tone. "Elena? Babe, what's wrong?"

"I need to see you. I need someone to talk with." I comment, swallowing back my tears and glancing up at the road as he exhales and agrees to meet me at our usual spot.

* * *

"Your arms are freezing." Tyler comments, taking off his jacket and laying it over my shoulders as I pick up a rock under my black and white converse shoes and throw it out into the ocean, watching it skip above the waves until it disappears into the deep blue abyss.

"What's going on?" He asks, sitting beside me while the yellow and orange glow from the small fire pit that we built outlines his perfectly handsome features.

"They want to sell the house. My house, Ty." I reply to him with a broken tone, wiping away the tears that have began to fall down my cheeks again.

He's silent for a long time, staring down at the fire until he clears his throat. "Maybe it's for the best."

Tyler's words cut me deep and they pain me more than he will ever know as I jump up from the cold and damp log that we're sitting on. "My parents died, Tyler! They died and I don't have anyone. Don't you understand that?" I shake my head, huffing out my breath through my noise while I make the realization and watch the warmth mix in with the cold air around us, causing a strange kind of fog to escape my mouth as we talk.

"Of course you wouldn't understand that. You've never had to deal with anything that tough. You got to live in your expensive mansion, with two amazing parents and have everyone in school know you as Richard Lockwood's son. The mayor's son!" I exclaim, noticing that he's gotten up and he's opened his mouth to say something but my rambling anger has stopped him from uttering out a single word.

"Elena, I didn't mean it that way." He tries to say, attempting to fix and justify his words. But, it's too late for apologies because the damage is already done.

"Yeah, you did. Just when I thought you were different from everyone else at school. You become just like them, telling me to move on. Damn it, Tyler! They were my only family, my parents and now I don't have anyone. Don't you get it." I shout, watching as he runs his hands through his hair and licks his lips.

"I'm sorry, alright. I didn't mean it that way, Elena." He repeats once more, trying to get through to me. Although, my mind is racing with the same words that I've been hearing for the last few years. So many _"I'm sorry's."_ from various people in my life that I can't even decipher which ones are truly heart felt and which ones are more out of obligation. Maybe that's why what I tell him next makes him look at me with such sadness in his brown eyes.

"Forget it. I don't think that you'll ever understand how I feel." I comment, brushing past him as his hand catches my arm and I spin back around towards him. His eyes are pleading with me to help me explain my thought process but all that manages to leave my lips is a plea. "Let me go, Tyler. Just leave me alone." My eyes close tightly as I hear him softly plead back to me. "Don't do this, Elena. Don't push me away like this."

The moment my eyes meet his, I can tell that he feels the change between us just as instantly as I do. When I tilt my head to the side and my watery eyes flood with tears as I lean forward and leave a quick kiss against his lips before backing away and adding in. "Just give me a little while. Please, just leave me be for a little while until I figure some things out."

"So, are you like temporarily breaking up with me over this?" He asks, placing both of his hands onto my arms and gliding them up and down. I can tell that he doesn't want this. However, I know that maybe this is for the best.

Tyler's hand lifts up as he cups my face into his palm, his thumb stroking my wet cheek. "How long?" He questions as I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know. Enough time to make myself not feel so empty and alone." I pause for a moment, backing away and releasing his hand away from my body while I brokenly reply to him. "Tyler, you need to know that...This has nothing to do with you."

* * *

I haven't spoken to Tyler for the last two days and the only communication that we've had has been through Caroline Forbes, Mystic Falls High School's princess and a classmate of mine.

"So, he's pretty torn up about the whole thing." Caroline adds in, stealing a french fry off of Rebekah's plate and scrunching up her nose at her. "What? The calories are going to go to my ass. Not yours. I'd be thankful, one less deep fried french fry sticking to my butt." Caroline tells her with a bright smile, pointing her blue ball point pen up in the air as she unravels it from the tight bun in her hair.

"What's wrong with him?" She asks with a curious tone, swirling her pen in her hand with a circulation motion as I slowly turn around to notice that she's pointing directly at the new guy. "What's his story? Is he really as bad as everyone says?" She questions while Rebekah chuckles out a laugh and rolls her eyes.

"Go ask him, Care. If you're that curious. All I know is that from this far away. He's hot, really hot!" Rebekah gushes as I turn around, sliding my feet out from the cafeteria table that we're sitting at and getting up without a word. "Where do you think your going?"

I wave them off, walking directly across the few feet that separates us. He's sitting with his back turned to me, a black leather jacket outlining his broad shoulders and his clearly muscular stature, his hands are clasped together and have settled on his thighs as his brown hair looks a bit tousled and messy. "New guy!" I exclaim, causing him to turn around at the sound of my voice.

"Elena." He nods as he says my name and I swear that I can see him smiling just a little, closing the book in his hands as he places it down in between his feet. He's sitting on the table, legs spread out while his dark brown boots lay flat on the long seats below him.

"Listen," I pause, walking in front of him and taking a seat on his left side. He watches me lean my back against the table and place my arms behind me when I glance over at him. "My friends wanted to know if the rumors about you are true?"

"Rumors?" He laughs as he reiterates the word, exhaling heavily and leaning forward towards my ear. The feeling of his breath tickles my skin and the blood pumping through my body is forcing my heart to excel at a rapid pace just at the sound of his smooth talking voice.

"Yeah, they said you went to a juvenile detention center in California. Because, that's where you're originally from. Right?" My question lingers in the air as he locks his forest green eyes onto me as if he's admitting his secrets and flaws all in one look.

"Would my answer make you think any less of me?" He backs away, my heart still hammering against my chest as I gasp out a breath at the loss of contact. The warm feeling of his breath and the fresh scent of mint mouthwash disappears just as he turns away and shakes his head.

"No." I reply back firmly, wanting to understand if he had a real reason for being there or if maybe he was wrongly accused of something. My mind is racing with every thought imaginable!

"So, is it true?" I ask him, holding my breath as he smiles at me and glances down at his feet for a moment before catching my gaze. " I've never been. But, I do have a friend who's there that I visit every once in a while. We were together when he got arrested for possession of underage drinking and I got hauled in for questioning. My dad heard about it and thought that I was doing drugs and drinking too. I sort of was doing the whole underaged drinking thing. But, I was careful not to get caught. So, he sent me here to live with my brother."

I nod, internally feeling relief that he clearly isn't some kind of crazy guy. "But, what about getting into fights?" I stop myself, glancing down at his hands and noticing the scars on his knuckles.

He smiles once more, lifting his hand up and wiggling his fingers. "I do a lot of boxing in my spare time. I want to be a UFC fighter and in Los Angeles they had a lot of underground illegal fights. I have fought in a few of those. Although, luckily for me. I've never gotten caught." He winks, lifting himself up as he glances down at his watch. I see him dust off his pants while he grabs his backpack and slings it over his shoulder.

"I should get going." He says while readjusting his bag as he looks me over and licks his lips. I can almost see his eyes dancing with an unknown excitement. " Just so that you can stop calling me, _"new guy."_ I do have a name. People like to call me, Stefan." I hear him say suddenly.

I'm smiling at him without even realizing it as he grins back at me and adds in. "By the way. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow night at that Junior/ Senior bonfire thing, Elena."

He leaves me at the table with bewilderment on my face as he walks away and shrugs his shoulders back at me. But, my secured gaze on Stefan's back is torn away the moment I feel Rebekah nudge my shoulder as she smirks, poking my side. "So, is he crazy?"

I shake my head, running my tongue over my dried lips when I finally look up at her and speak. "No, Rebekah. He's not crazy at all and he's nothing that the rumors suggest. He's actually nothing like I expected him to be." I comment, repeating his name over again in my mind, silently hoping that he'll be true to his word and show up at the bonfire.

* * *

**A/N: Please feel free to let me know what you all think by leaving me a review of your thoughts! Hopefully the time change didn't confuse any of you. But, once again...There is a REASON why I have decided to write the story this way! ;)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. When his daughter goes missing without a trace. A troubled FBI agent will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tracking down the alluring and menacing woman who has been eluding his task force for years. A woman who's heartbreaking past they both share. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena, Forwood,Bamon,Hayley/Elijah,Klaus/OC)

**A/N: Hey all! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites this story has gotten so far. You all rock! Also, one of my readers had said that they were a bit confused about Klaus and Elena's relationship at this point in the storyline. I just want to clarify and say that at this point in time, Elena has never met Klaus and she won't until a lot later on. At this point in the story, Elena has only heard Rebekah talk about her brothers and all Elena knows is what Rebekah says about them.**

**Anyways, hope that makes things a bit more clear.**

**Thanks so much for reading & I hope you all enjoy Ch.2! **

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Two **

**-Damon-**

"Where the hell are we?" I ask him, feeling as the tinted windowed SUV comes to a complete stop in front of this large blue and white lettered sign that reads _'Hogan's Alley.'_

We've been driving for the last few hours and I've been stuck in the car with our newly appointed deputy director, Elijah Mikaelson. He's been assigned to make sure that I make it here safely and that I don't tell anyone where the hell I am. Because, truthfully- I don't even have a clue. The windows are blacked out and something in my gut tells me that we aren't anywhere near Washington, DC any longer. Elijah on the hand is a guy full of secrets and he sure as hell refuses to tell me where he's decided to take me for whatever reason. He carries himself with such prestige and intelligence that when I first met the guy approximately 6 months ago as I was finishing up my training at Quantico and being initiated into everything, I thought he was a total douche bag. Although, maybe it was the fact that he's been the one who has been pulling the strings since I got into the academy. And who has been keeping me away from Bonnie for the few weeks, that is why all my anger is directed towards him.

I watch as his hand slides over his black and gray stripped Tom Ford suit jacket as he clears his throat. Elijah slides the sunglasses he's wearing off his face and turns back to look at me with this devious grin while the tinted windowed SVU continues to roll down the road and jolts us a bit as it goes over a few rocky pot holes in the gravel and dirt.

"I know you've already gotten your 20 week training at Quantico. But, consider this place a bit of a refresher for you and I thought this place would allow us to chat, privatelty." He pauses, licks his lips and then huffs out a breath. "What is it that you want to be again, Agent Salvatore?"

What do I want to be? I want to be a DEA agent. A part of the drug enforcement administration. I want to catch the bad guys who are littering the streets and selling drugs cut with other tainted bullshit. I want to see their faces as I bust down their doors and scream at them to get the fuck on the ground. I, want to do it all!

"A DEA agent, sir." I quickly reply, hoping that he can hear the serious tone in my voice. I left my new bride to be here and to learn new things, I left my new wife and my baby brother to fend for themselves as I follow my dreams and show Stefan that if you set your mind to it. That, you can really be something in life!

Elijah breathes out a rigged breath. Turning back to face the front as he shrugs his shoulders back. "We have a lot of work to do then. Look, I know that we said you can pick whatever location you want to be based in when I met with you last week at the D.C. headquarters. However, I think that sending you back home to Virginia would be the best thing for you now. You grew up there, you know those streets and we need someone based out of there anyways. I'm sure that the task force would gladly welcome you into the fold of things."

I nearly choke on my own saliva as I stare up at him through the rear view mirror. I'm more than thrilled to know that I could stop this whole thing of being away from Bonnie and finally be back home with my family. Although, what he tells me next makes things a little bit unbearable. "This task force isn't really what you want though. It only investigates violent crimes and major thefts. Both nationally and internationally." Elijah pauses, deadlocking his eyes on me as he turns to me and starts to list a few things off. "They look into such crimes like parental kidnapping, crisis negotiations, most wanted fugitives, back robberies, missing persons. You get the idea."

I sigh out a breath. This task force sounds like it's a damn piece of work. But, it's one step closer to me following my dreams of being a drug enforcement agent and at this point, I could careless. "So, what am I going to be doing there?" I ask him casually as he smiles at me when the car finally comes to a complete stop and Elijah steps out of it. I follow soon after, coughing and gagging on the dust that's picked up all around us because of the high winds.

The beating sun makes me squint my eyes in confusion while I attempt to block it out with my hand and try to get a better idea of where we are. "We're in the middle of the damn desert, Elijah. I thought you said that-." He cuts me off with the wave of his hand as he turns back around and tells the driver to leave us alone.

"What the hell are you doing and he can't leave us here. Unless you're going to kill me here and you don't want any witnesses!" I exclaim, fear creeping into my voice as he suddenly places his hand on to my shoulder and smiles casually. As if he does this to all the new recruits. "Relax, Salvatore. I'm going to ask you a few questions while we're out here and I want you to answer them truthfully. I want to know that I can trust you without anyone else around."

Trust me? I already went through a lie detector test- multiple ones in fact! I have never heard of this in my life, a one on one session in the middle of god damn nowhere with a guy in a suit that looks as if he's just stepped out of a James Bond movie. Maybe, Elijah's the enemy and this whole thing, some sort of twisted test to see how loyal I really am to the bureau. Maybe he really is going to kill me and leave me out here to die!

"Do you have children, Damon?" Elijah asks me as he places his hand on to my shoulder again. This time, his grip is firmer and it snaps me out of my daydream quickly as I shake my head, no.

I smile at the idea of having a child though. A small little person to call my son or daughter. That must be nice and it must feel so rewarding being a parent. But just as quickly as the image fills my head, it disappears and my stomach instantly twists into knots. My mind drifts back to Bonnie's words to me from just the other day and I quickly shake the fantasy away as the reality hits me. Her and I can't have kids. We will never have our own child and knowing that, breaks my heart.

"I don't have any either. You know, it was advised to me many years ago when I first started out like a trainee as yourself that having children and a family in our line of work, it's not a great idea. However, it does happen." My body tenses up as he frowns down at his once nicely polished black dress shoes that are now dusty and a bit scuffed up.

"My wife, Hayley and I met in middle school. We lost touch in high school and college for a few years and then we met again during a police conference in Washington, DC. Ever since that conference, we've been in love. Hayley is the love of my life and she has been for the last 7 years. She's a police officer, she understands this life. Yet, sometimes I know she hates me for refusing to have a baby with her." Elijah tells me sorrowfully as he shrugs his shoulders and takes a step back.

"Luckily for me. My younger brother, Klaus and his wife, Sophia just had a little baby boy. So, I'm happy being an uncle for the moment and Hayley is loving being an aunt." He explains, watching as I give him a perplexed look. He brought me all the way out here so that we could talk about his wife, his brother's wife and having children...What in the hell?

"Well, that's nice. But, that still doesn't explain why the hell we're out in the middle of nowhere and far away from Washington, DC!" I comment harshly, noticing his hand slip inside of his pocket and silently praying that my worst fears haven't come true and he won't pull out a gun. My body tenses as I lock my eyes on to the small black book in his hands and I'm instantly thrown for a loop.

"Because of this." Elijah states, handing me the book. It's about the size of a pocket book that some people use for addresses. However, in the palm of my sweaty and shaking hands, it looks enormous and feels 20 times heavier.

"What is it? And, why are you giving it to me?" I question him, hearing him sigh as my eyes lock on his face and Elijah runs his hands through his perfectly cut hair.

"It's the list of all the fugitives that I've been unable to catch over the years. I just keep adding to them as the years go on and this little black book has become my own personal track record from hell. Every time, I see it. I think of all the failed attempts or how close I've gotten to catching the people on this list. However, all I've done for the longest time is just add to it. I took you out here on purpose, Damon. The task force in Mystic Falls, Virginia is behind on case loads and they are a fairly small and unorganized group of people. They are around 150 cases behind and I know that you're new to all of this and that you are still learning. But, I also know that you finished top of your class at Quanitco and that we could use someone like you. You are just what I need to get these people moving and to make this division run smoothly."

I'm speechless, standing in front of him and still glancing down at the little black book from hell as he continues to speak. "We're going to work together on this and I'm going to train you to be one of my best agents. Hell, maybe we can even get that little brother of yours into the bureau once he finishes school. I could use two well rounded young men in this division." Elijah winks at me.

I pause, trying to form words as he catches me still clutching the book in wonder. "So, what's going to happen after we get a new name and place it into the book?" I ask, sounding fairly stupid in my question while Elijah laughs at the way I worded it, as if I don't know the answer.

"We're going to keep adding names and we're going to take all of them down. One by one and eventually. It's that simple, Damon. A process of elimination, really. Yet, I won't be doing any of it." He tells me, picking up his cell phone as the driver of the large SVU that we had come here with us starts to slowly approach us once again.

"Doesn't the bureau keep track of all these things. All the evil and crazy people out there! That's what the FBI's most wanted list is for, isn't it?" I ask him, seeing the car come to a complete stop as it rolls up near Elijah and he places his hand on to the door handle, laughing at me and shaking his head.

"You really are fresh meat to this place. They do, Damon and you're right on that. However, this goes a little bit beyond those lines. Out of jurisdictional lines." I must give him a pretty baffled glance because the look on his face is pretty priceless. He's trying not to laugh at me more than he already has. I clearly have no idea what the hell is going on and why he's chosen me for this task or for this specific division.

"So, then...Why me and why keep track of all that crap in this book of yours?" I nearly shout out at him as his hand drops away from the door handle and he smirks. "I told you why I picked you. The rest is for you to figure out. However, no one can know that I have gave you this information. It has classified names with possible locations of where I think they are. You're a bright young man, Damon Salvatore. You figure it out. As far as I'm concerned, this discussion- it never happened." He tells me hastily, opening the car door and getting into the car as I stand there, placing the book into my back pocket while my mind races wild with ideas and theories as to what he wants me to actually do with this newly learned information.

That's until it hits me, the book contains the names of all the fugitives that Elijah Mikaelson has spent most of his career trying to catch on his own. However, because of his high ranking position that he has now. He can't do it anymore- he needs someone to finish it all for him. He had probably spent most of his career attempting to catch these guys without notifying his superiors and going behind their backs. Going against the FBI's wishes and into places where he had no jurisdiction of being. And now, he wants to pass his undone jobs on to me in hopes of someone like myself, taking them on and climbing up the ranks faster than anyone ever has all because of this little black book with the most dangerous undetected fugitives in it.

"You'll thank me for all of this one day. When you've got a nice house somewhere in the suburbs and are living a nice life with your wife and your kids, all because of your amazing career and achievements. You'll be a high ranking agent once I'm done with you." He says to me as he glances back over at me one last time and then he readjusts himself in his seat while he tells the driver to take us back to headquarters.

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"Well, look who actually made it." I hear Elena call out from behind me as I slowly turn around. The glowing light from the large bonfire near the ocean side on the sand highlight her dancing brown eyes and prefect pearly white smile as she walks up to me, tugging down on her dark brown leather jacket.

"You did invite me."I reply back with a smile as she looks around and tightens her fingers around the red plastic cup in her hands that I can tell is full of beer because of the smell of it on her breath.

"Wanna drink?" She asks, pointing back to the table where one of her friends is pouring drinks from a keg and laughing at something someone near her has just said.

"Rebekah, one of the girls that I'm friends with at school. She has this friend who supplied us with the fake ID's and things like that. She's the one who bought us the alcohol. Pretty ironic that she's the only one doing stuff like that in a family full of police officers and do gooders. I've never met any of her family. But, she talks about them constantly. Apparently one of her brothers is going to be a cop or something like that." Elena rambles on as I nod my head and glance over at Rebekah who seems fairly drunk by now herself.

"No, thanks." I decline Elena's offer politely, getting an odd look from her as she laughs. "You don't drink?" She questions as I shake my head, clearing my throat. We're walking to no place in particular as the sand from the beach picks up beneath our feet and Elena's steps fall into sync with my own.

"I'll have a drink now and then. But, I don't do it as much as I used too and I don't feel comfortable drinking while unsupervised at a party where almost everyone is underage and has fake IDs." I tell her, watching as she leans towards me and shakes her head. Elena places her hand on to my shoulder, laughing hysterically. "I'm sorry. But, where's the fun in that?"

I pop my neck to the side and crack my knuckles. "People usually drink themselves to oblivion because they want to forget things. I'm not saying that's what your doing right now. But, you seem pretty drunk." I observe her, watching her roll her dark brown eyes as she sways the red cup in her hands and I watch some of the foamy golden colored contains spill into the sand, making darkened spots beneath our feet.

"It's because I am!" Elena declares, looking back over at the large group of her friends who are all dancing and partying, having the time of their lives. She wants to join them, I can tell by the way her body language instantly changes. Although, she turns back to me instead.

"So, what are you trying to forget, Elena?" I ask, hearing her scoff at my attempt of trying to get to know her better, since I barely know her at all. She pauses for a minute and runs her hands through her hair in frustration. We're just inches apart and the massive bonfire is shining it's light our way so it's not completely dark as we stand further away from it.

She laughs once more, kicking the stand beneath her feet and flipping the red cup over in her hands. We both watch and listen as the beer pours out on the ground and then I hear the crunching sound of Elena's foot smashing the plastic into pieces. She glances down at it, not looking at me while she speaks. "I'm trying to forget that my whole heart and my life is as empty as that damn cup right now." She tells me, huffing out a shaky breath and crossing her arms.

"My parents are dead. You know, I used to think that I'd have them in my life forever and that they'd be here to guide me into not being a damn screw up. But, they're not and that is exactly what I am, a failure. I'm trying to forget their displeased faces that I constantly dream of at night because that's the only memory I have of them- the outlines of their faces." She adds on, tears welling up into her eyes as she sighs and turns her back to me.

"Elena, I'm sorry." I whisper out as she sniffles and shrugs her shoulders back. "So, am I." She states, beginning to walk away from me. I remind myself that barely know her. But, watching her this upset breaks my heart and that's what forces me to catch up to her as she walks away from me full of regret.

"Elena, are you alright? What did he say to you!" Rebekah yells out, rushing over to her and throwing a death glare in my direction. As, I look up. I see the guy who she called her boyfriend (just a few days ago) standing with his arms over his chest and more than a pissed off expression on his face.

"He didn't say anything, Rebekah. It's fine. I just- I've been here too long and I should go home." She waves her off, stumbling on her feet and trying to catch her balance near a picnic table covered in a dark green cloth as she slams her hand against it, grumbling to herself.

"I'll take you home." The guy whom I assume is still her boyfriend says to her as she looks up at him and shakes her head, turning back to me.

"No, I want him to do. I don't want you anywhere near me, Tyler!" She exclaims, looking back up at me with annoyance in her eyes as I slowly walk over to her side and I help her get to her feet once again while we make our way out to where my yellow convertible and old looking 1969 Chevelle is parked.

"So, that was your boyfriend?" I ask her, helping her into the passenger side and leaning into her as I buckle her seat belt in. Elena's beer and whiskey aroma smelling breath washes over my face when she hisses out. "Actually, ex-boyfriend. Tyler Lockwood. He turned into an asshole. Don't ask me anymore about him please. Just, take me away from here."

"Do you want to go home?" I ask her as I step away and lean my arms against the open door of my car, staring down at her face. Elena turns her head just slightly and shifts her eyes at me as she shakes her head. "I don't have one of those anymore either. You see, my wonderful uncle and my aunt who I barely know are going to be taking that away from me as well by the end of the year." She comments as I blankly stare at her. Maybe she's making it up- maybe it's the alcohol in her system talking. Yet, from the pained and hurt look in her eyes as she speaks about her troubles. A small part of me really does believe her.

"I told you, I don't have anyone anymore and I don't have a place to stay. So, just...take me wherever the hell you want. I highly doubt that they'll care if I stay out all night anyways." She tells me as she yawns out a breath and I close the door gently, noticing how quickly it took her to lean her hot and red colored cheeks against the cold and fogged up windows.

As I make my way to the drivers side and slip into the seat, starting the car and glancing over at Elena who has her eyes now closed and seems to be drifting in and out of sleeping. I comment quietly, "I know just the place to take you." I mostly tell myself while starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot, noticing that Elena is fast asleep already.

* * *

It's late, a little past midnight and I know that if I knock on the front door that I'll wake her up. Furthermore, that she will be pissed off as all hell once she see's who I have with me. But, just like clock work and before I can lift my hand up to place the apartment key into the door, it swings open. My eyes meet Bonnie's worried gaze as she stands in front of us with her arms crossed while I scoop Elena up into my arms and she groans while laying her head against my shoulder.

"Where have you been and who in the hell is that!" Bonnie bellows, anger riddling her exhausted looking features as I ignore her questions and make my way into the guest room where I've been sleeping.

"If you did something to that poor girl and are now bringing her back here to cover your damn tracks. I swear to god that I will call your brother and have him on the first plane right back home to Mystic Falls!" Bonnie exclaims with an anguished tone as she watches me disappear into the room and then reappear a few minutes later without Elena in my arms. I close the door behind me slowly and place my hands in front of me, signaling for Bonnie to keep her voice down.

"She's a friend." I lie to her.

"A friend? Stefan, she is a very intoxicated looking young woman who is now sleeping off her drinking binge in our cozy little apartment." Bonnie's face twitches as she crinkles her nose and huffs out a breath. She's angry and confused and to be honest. I understand where she's coming from. Although, she won't give me a chance to explain.

"Look, I didn't do anything to her. I promise that I didn't. She's a friend of mine who I met through school and she'll be gone before the sun comes up. I promise." I tell her, leaning into Bonnie and kissing her cheek before she can yell at me some more. She watches me cautiously as I walk into the kitchen, grabbing two water bottles and a single box of saltine crackers for Elena, if she needs them.

"Good night, Bon." I tell her, noticing her eyes never leaving my movements as she shakes her head and points to me. " I just found out that your brother is coming home tomorrow morning. So, I suggest that your little uninvited house guest leaves our apartment before we have to go pick him up around 8 in the morning."

I nod at her, stopping near the door to my room and glancing back at her. "I love you. Thanks." Bonnie rolls her eyes and inhales through gritted teeth. "You're lucky that I love you too!"

* * *

**-Elena-**

The creaking noise of a door opening and closing forces my eyes to squint open as they try to adjust to the bright florescent light shining through the crack under the door. "Where am I?" I groggily ask him as I see his athletic built figure turn a low beaming light on in the room so that I can get a better picture of my surroundings.

"You're in my room. At my brother's apartment." He quietly clarifies, watching me trying to get up as my limp arms shakily make me unstable and Stefan bends down by my side, leaning me against the wall in his room. It's so bare, this place that he calls his. White walls, unpacked cardboard boxes stacked in a corner. The only thing he has in the small space is a stereo, a full sized mattress that feels pretty comfortable but it's on the floor and he has a desk with some books on them. No pictures, no posters...Nothing else to signify that a young guy his age lives here.

"We just moved in here not too long ago. Well, I just moved here. That's why it's so bare." He adds in as I rub my head and try to not focus on the rising bile that's making it's way up my esophagus.

"I think I'm going to puke!" I exclaim, placing my hand in front of my mouth and cupping my palm over it as the rushing flow of a warm and runny substance almost projects out of me. He's quick to his feet as he places a waste basket under my hand and holds my hair back. We sit like this for a while, me vomiting in this white and plastic trash can as he soothes my stupidity with a back rub while kneeling down beside me.

"It's okay. Elena, you're okay now." He tells me, lowering his hand to my back as he gives me a napkin and I wipe my mouth with it.

"I'm sorry." I blurt out. I feel embarrassed and really sick from it all. I feel like he's going to think that I really am what I had called myself on the beach- a total screw up!

Stefan shrugs his shoulders back, taking his jacket off and glancing down at my vomit soaked dark purple shirt.

"Here, you can sleep in this. It's clean." He says, tossing one of his t-shirts to me as he gives me a sympathetic look, one that I've seen so many times over in my life that I know exactly what he's thinking.

"I rarely drink too. I just..I was nervous tonight when I knew that you were going to at the bonfire and I kind of had a few drinks. I don't know who gave me the whiskey either. It might have been, Tyler. I just- I needed to loosen up and forget about my problems and knowing that you were going to be there made me nervous." I comment, swallowing down the rest of the bile as Stefan hands me a cold water bottle and then he turns around, facing his bedroom door.

"It's okay. You don't need to explain. I just don't think you should be alone tonight anyway. So, I brought you here. Listen, Elena. How about you change and then I'll let you sleep it off." He tells me as I uncover my legs from his sheets and inhale the scent surrounding me. His room smells like a crisp and clean cut men's body wash and so do his sheets and the shirt he handed me. It's intoxicating and something about his scent makes me feel warm and safe.

I change into the shirt slowly, telling him that he can turn back around once my feet have slide under the sheets again and I'm laying on his pillow. "I'll sleep on the couch in the living room if you need me. I'm going to go take out the trash can too." He explains as I adjust myself in his bed and turn to face him. My hand is underneath the pillow, my hair flowing across my back as I point to the other side of the bed and blurt out. "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

I can see his body tense up at my words as one of his hands clutch the trash bin with my vomit in it and then the other slips off the door handle. He slowly turns around and just when he's about to tell me no. I plead with him. "Please, Stefan. I have nightmares and I hate sleeping in unfamiliar places alone."

He laughs a little, shaking his head and staring back at me. "You aren't lying to me, are you?"

"No. I don't lie about the things that scare me." I reply back, seeing him purse his lips together as he sighs out a breath and nods his head towards the trash can. "Let me just go throw this out without waking up my brother's wife up and I'll come back in here."

I nod, whispering softly. "Okay."

"Okay." He states, pulling the door open and exiting the room as I fall back into the pillows and immerse myself in his scent.

* * *

Minutes later he comes back with some more napkins and a fresh new trash bag. I cautiously glance over as leans down and places both beside me with a gentle smile. "Just in case you need them." He states.

"Thanks." I murmur under my breath as my eyes follow his movements. Stefan takes his jacket off, keeping his thin gray t-shirt from earlier on as he glances down at his sweat pants and shrugs. "It's too cold to wear anything else." He laughs awkwardly, pulling back the covers on the other side of the bed as I feel his body weight make the mattress dip and he slides under the sheets. His foot gently rubs against my own as he mutters out "Sorry." and before I know it, he's staring at me with this intriguing stare.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asks as I turn my head towards him and smile just a little bit.

"Yeah, I am now." I reply back while he lays on his back and sighs out a breath.

"I'm sorry about your parents." He says with a sincere tone. I lay on my back too, glancing up at the ceiling instead of at him while I reply. "Yeah, me too."

Our hands are in the middle of the bed between us, nearly touching as I accidentally brush mine against his and close my eyes as he catches it under his touch. "We barely know each other. But, I'm already completely mesmerized by you." He tells me, smiling when I let out a laugh and he does the same.

"What?" He questions, hearing me continuing to laugh.

"That is the cheesy thing that I have ever heard." I comment, turning my head to look at his as our eyes meet and he shrugs his shoulders back. "Don't blame me. I read that once in a book. Can't remember which one. But, it was pretty interesting. I think it was one of those romance novels." He smiles as I shake my head, turning my back to him and sighing at the loss of warmth that was radiating from his hands just a few minutes prior while it was laying next to mine.

"Yeah, a tough guy who reads romance novels. Can't wait to find out more about you, Stefan. You seem like a very interesting person!" I tell him as he laughs and then he too turns away from me, just when he states. "I am, Elena. Just stick around long enough and you'll realize that I'm pretty damn awesome."

"I'm sure you are." He hears me quietly tell him playfully. We're quiet for a while until Stefan yawns and then I hear him add in. "Good night, Elena. Wake me if you need anything."

I smile widely at the last part of his sentence as my eyes begin to close and I curl up into his sheets while whispering back. "Good night, Stefan. I'll be gone by the morning. I promise."

* * *

**A/N: For anyone wondering about "the little black book" that Elijah gives to Damon. I actually got the book idea from an amazing show called "The Blacklist." However, my idea for the book is going to be kind of different from what they do on that show with it. Let's just say that Damon's going to be in over his head, eventually with all this information he's going to learn. ;)**

**On another note, who freaking loves teenage Stefan and Elena...I DO! :')**

**Anyways, please feel free to let me know what you think. Love hearing your thoughts, so comment away!**

**Follow me on twitter for updates or just to chat about my stories at:BePassionate_24**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. When his daughter goes missing without a trace. A troubled FBI agent will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tracking down the alluring and menacing woman who has been eluding his task force for years. A woman who's heartbreaking past they both share. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena, Forwood,Bamon,Hayley/Elijah,Klaus/OC)

**A/N** **:** **I can't believe how many reviews this story has already gotten and we're only on chapter 3 so far. Oh, wow. Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows and favoriting of this story. Let me tell you, it's going to be one hell of a journey. So, feel free to stick around! :)  
**

**One of you had asked if this is all still part of the flashbacks. And I feel like clarifying. Everything since chapter 1 is all going to be in flashbacks. I will let you all know when time jumps occur and when I decide to take us back to the prologue with a much older and a very dark Elena.**

**Once again, there's a reason I'm writing the story this way and with the "6 years earlier" plot. I'd love to know your theories on what you all think might happen next though. ;)**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Three-**

**-Elena-**

"Leaving so soon?" She asks, hissing out the question while her eyes dart around the living room as she locks them on to me and I lock my eyes on to the voice of the person who had asked me the question. She's beautiful, dark brown hair, dark skinned with green eyes and she's wearing this cute light pink University of Virginia sweatshirt. She's at least in her early thirties and you can tell just by the big fat diamond ring on her left hand that she's married to a man with money.

She gets up, brushing her hair back with her hands and yawns a little, looking me over. I can see her nose crinkle as she glances down at the vomit covered shirt I'm wearing. "He's a good kid, you know. He's had some tough times. But, Stefan is an amazing guy and I would hate to see him hurt over some irresponsible little girl."

She clears her throat, taking a few steps towards me as I watch her put her hands into the pockets of the sweatshirt. "If you're going to be hanging around my husband's little kid brother. It'd be nice if I at least knew your name."

"Ele...Elena." I stammer out nervously under her heavy intense green gaze. She's angry for god knows what reason and I can only imagine that it's mostly because of my upset stomach keeping her up all night long.

"I'm sorry about intruding on you and your family..Mrs. Salvatore. I just- I didn't want to be alone last night." I try my best to explain the reasoning as to why I'm sneaking out of Stefan's room just a little shy of 6:15 in the morning.

"Oh, Stefan really didn't give you a choice in the matter, young lady. Just, be happy that his older brother wasn't home to see you sneaking out with vomit covering your clothing. My husband is a little quick to judge. But, frankly...Elena? Was it?" She pauses, tapping her foot against the beige colored carpeting in their living room as she locks her eyes on to me when I nod my head.

"You don't seem that bad of a young girl. Maybe a little in need of some direction in life. But, here's some friendly advice- Keep your distance from Stefan. He can't mess up his junior year of high school over someone like you and I'm pretty sure that you can't afford that either. You are a pretty girl and he's a good looking young guy. You know, with hormones raging." Our heads both turn at the sound of someone walking slowly down the hall and then it stops as I notice Stefan leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over each other.

"I see that you've met my brother's wife, Bonnie." Stefan comments with a smile as I nod my head turning towards the front door to their apartment nervously. I want to get out of here and I want to do it now!

"I should get going. It was nice meeting you and," I turn my body slowly towards him, shrugging my shoulders back. "Thanks for helping me last night, Stefan. I appreciate it. I'll see you around school."

He nods his head in my direction, pushing off the wall and walking me out. I quickly turn back around as Stefan catches the door with his hand and grins at me. "I'm sorry about her. She's just very overprotective of me."

"It's fine. You're lucky to have someone like that in your life." I comment quietly, looking down at my shoes as I hear the door close and look up to see him leaning his back against it.

"When can I see you again?" The question throws me off guard as my eyes widen while they meet his intense green gaze.

"At school." I make sure that my tone is sharp and clear when I reply back to his answer. Yet, he seems to not be taking it as I thought he would. Stefan pushes away from the door, latching his hand on to my arm which forces me to lock my eyes on to him, opening my mouth to repeat my words with a shaky tone.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, when can I see you again outside of school?" He asks me once more as I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling my body stiffen to his warm hand against my cold skin.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I try telling him bluntly, seeing a flash of disappointment sweep across his gaze as he purses his lips together and huffs out a breath.

"You are my only friend here so far, Elena. I'd like to see you again." His persuasive tone nearly sounds pleading and it makes me laugh.

"I just broke up with my boyfriend of two years. How's it going to look if you and I start suddenly hanging out with each other, Stefan? People are going to talk." I tell him, trying to not notice the look of sadness my rejections brought into his eyes.

"It doesn't need to be a date. We can just hang out and I don't care what people think about me being around you. You can just tell them that I'm lonely and I need a friend." He grins, hopefulness returning to his tone and his green eyes.

"I'm the popular girl, who's supposed to care what people think about me. And, I've lived in this town my whole life. Stefan-." My eyes shut and I tighten the pressure on them as I exhale deeply, out of nowhere feeling his finger upon my lips as he leans into me at the same time my eyes open and he whispers just inches away from my lips. "Opposites attract, Elena. Remember that."

I stand there silently, watching him remove his finger from my lips as he leans forward and kisses my forehead, whispering for me to take care of myself and that he'll be seeing me around school per my request. And within a blink of an eye, he's gone back into the apartment leaving me with the tingling feeling of his lips against my skin.

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" Jenna's booming voice sends a shiver down my spine as I unlock the front door and notice that her, John and Jillian are all sitting in the living room.

"I was out, enjoying myself and being reckless. Like every other teenage girl my age." The snarky tone in my voice sets her off because before I can even finish what I want to say, Jenna's spun me around towards her. My body slams back against the wall in the kitchen as she hovers over me and deadlocks her worried and pissed off gaze at my face.

"Do you even understand what waiting around for you all night has done to this family?" She spits out with a venomous tone as I smile a little and shrug my shoulders back. "That's funny because I thought you all didn't care. And last time I checked, you just became part of _this family_..." My voice trails off as I glance up at the clock and conclude. "A little less than 48 hours ago."

My attempt at moving past Jenna and running upstairs fails me when I hear John clear his throat and he glances over at his wife. She's got a pair of my mothers pearl earrings on, her light blonde hair is pinned back and she's playing with the 10,000 dollar bracelet that John had bought her for their wedding anniversary, a few years back. I can feel Jillian's dark blue piercing eyes follow my movements as my uncle stands in front of me, telling Jenna to go outside because this is clearly between the three of us.

The moment I hear the creaking of the back door shut behind Jenna. He locks his eyes on to me, his look is full of self hatred and disappointment- mostly within himself.

"I failed you, as a parent. Elena, I am so sorry for everything that's going. But, I want you to know that Jillian and I still love you with with our whole hearts and that you scared us half to death by not coming home last night." He tells me, unshed tears glazing over his eyes.

"Home?" I scoff at the word. There's something about it that seems pretty damn ironic since I don't even know where or what to call this place any longer. As far as I'm concerned, this place hasn't been home for years- not since I lost them. All it's been for me is an empty shell of a reminder of what my life could have been. Yet, the saddest part is that I can't give it up. I refuse to give it up.

"Yeah, home. This house. Your house." He clarifies as I shake my head and push away from the wall, squeezing by him. His firm hand on my shoulder stops me in my tracks.

"This isn't my home anymore. Since, you're taking that away from me too. I'll be left with nothing." I comment bleakly as John shakes his head. "Don't be so dramatic, Elena."

"Dramatic?" I close my eyes, breathing out a heavy sigh.

"I have nothing and no one left! You know, the more I think about it. The more enticing the idea of moving to Texas seems. Hell, it would be a great idea!" I shout at him, throwing a glare in his direction as he shouts back at me. "This was never what your parents wanted for you!"

I'm half way up the stairs, turning back around slowly and allowing the tension in my body to build because I know sooner or later once John and Jillian go to sleep that I can sneak out of the house and find somewhere to release it or with someone. "How would you know what they did and didn't want for me? Save me the speech of being a good uncle. You stopped talking to them the moment that I was born and it broke dad's heart!" I scream back at him, hearing Jillian's pleading for John to just let me be continue as I turn away from them and rush up the stairs.

Slamming the door behind me sends a ripple effect of picture frames shaking on the walls as I grab my purse from the desk in my room and search for my phone. My shaking fingers dial her number and once she answers part of me isn't as regretful anymore, that small part of me is filled with rage and I can't wait to allow someone else to feel my anger.

"Tell me what college parties are going on around town tonight. I need to get the hell out of here, right now." I comment, hearing Rebekah let out a laugh as I can picture her smiling.

"I thought the goody little two shoes didn't do college parties. Besides, you're too young. They could smell a high schooler from a mile away. You'd stand out like a sore thumb, since you don't know how to pull off the much older and sophisticated look. Like, I do." Rebekah muses, making me cringe at how right she is.

"Fine, I'll make sure to dress accordingly then. Just tell me where I can meet you so that I won't stand out so much. I know that you have connections to all the good parties in this shitty little town, Bex. And, I need to get out of this damn house before I lose my mind. So, tell me where we can go." I'm nearly snarling my words out at her as I hear her cough out a breath and then she states. "Lexington and 23rd. And, Elena. I hope you won't regret doing whatever you have planned. Because, this place isn't a very good part of town. We can get into a lot of trouble for even being there."

"What do you mean?" I question suddenly, a large feeling of anxiety sweeping over me as she adds in. "You'll see. Just be thankful that you won't be going alone to it."

* * *

"Nice skirt." Rebekah comments, slapping my behind as she smirks and pulls me into the packed dance floor. I can see people snorting some white substance from the corner of my eye into their noses as I turn around and nearly get my shirt wet by some tall blonde girl who's clearly in some euphoric state of being in a drug induced high- like everyone else around us seems to be.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. Didn't see you there." She giggles, dabbing at my shirt with a napkin and hands me a bunch more from her pocket, continuing to dance to the music. The room is dark and the lights are low, I can barely see the flash of Rebekah's blonde hair in front of my face. But, I can feel her arms lifting mine up in the air as the music tempo picks up and the beat gets louder.

"Everybody having a good time?" Someone shouts overhead into the various speakers above us and my back rubs up against a total stranger who had been standing near the blonde girl from moments ago.

"Who all knows about this place?" I shout out at Rebekah, my ears throbbing from the loud and excessive pressure from the music.

"Not too many people, a few from our school. But, not a lot. The girl who organizes these little things is over there." She points as I turn my head to see a blonde jumping off the makeshift stage as she grabs a hold of some guys hand and drags him on to the floor with her. She brushes past Rebekah and I with a smirk on her face and glaces quickly to look in our direction.

"What's her name?" I question as Rebekah pulls me close as the music starts up again and she laughs into my ear. "Elena, who cares! She throws amazing parties and people show up for them. You wanted to get your mind off of things. So, here we are!" Rebekah exclaims as she moves us both to the music and we get caught up in the moment once again while I hear Rebekah loudly repeat the music lyrics _"_ _A little trouble never hurt no body...Wait a minute.."_

* * *

"That was amazing!" I hear myself shout out as Rebekah and I stumble out of the building through a back door, only stopping in our tracks when we hear footsteps running towards us. The sound of high heels loudly hitting the ground make my heart jump into my chest.

"I told you to stop coming here!" The person behind us shouts, directing her attention to Rebekah as I steady my tired body against the brick wall building and lean my heated skin upon the cold and moist bricks to cool my body temperature down.

"Well, I got bored. So, I came." Rebekah shoots back as the blonde from earlier on the dance floor shakes her head and she huffs out a breath. "If your brother, Kol find out about this-."

Rebekah steps near her, sighing and crossing her arms. "Oh, please. Like any of my brothers gives a damn about what I do outside of school. I'm the golden girl with straight A's and a little addiction to some fun. Believe me, no one knows about what I do on the side or whom I choose to spend my time with." She smirks, extending out her hand as she taps her silver colored high heels against the wet pavement beneath us.

"Come on, Lexi. Just give me what I came here for and we're all good." She tells her, smiling back at me when I hear the blonde girl named Lexi sigh deeply. "You're a damn high school student, Rebekah. Who I could easily get arrested for. Because, I'm handing out prescription pills to you!"

Rebekah grins widely, snatching the orange colored bottle from Lexi's hands and turning back to me.

"Let's go." She states, shoving the pills into her purse while she turns once more to glance over at Lexi, speaking over her shoulder. "Well, that really isn't my problem. But, no one has found out about my little secret and I'm fairly certain that it would make you go out of business. And, I need you. So, relax a bit because this stays between us."

Rebekah pulls me by the arm abruptly leaving and dragging me out into the parking lot where her dark charcoal colored BMW sits glistening from the rain that's fallen. She opens the door briskly, telling me to get in and once I do, I can't help but not say something. "Are you really going to take those?"

She smiles mischievously, pulling them out from her purse as she looks over the white label and points to it. "They are prescribed to me, after all. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't think it's a good idea, Bexs. I mean, they can do a lot of damage..They can-." With a wave of her hand, she cuts me off with a laugh.

"Come on, Elena. Live a little. Take a few of them, you never know when you might need them." She winks, laying my hand flat as she picks it up from my lap and the rattling noise of the white pills make my stomach tighten while they fall into my hand.

"What are they?" I ask her as she just smiles and leans her head back. "Ugh, I love you. But, you need to stop asking so many damn questions. It's a bunch of painkillers. I'd like to think of it as a cocktail mixture and it's one of the best highs that you've ever felt in your life." She tells me, tossing the rest of them back into the bottle and closing it up as I glance down at the white pills in my hand, uneasiness washing over me.

"I need to stay on track. I can't be popping pills to numb the pain." I comment as she places the car in reverse and I feel it jolt forward when she glances over at me and frowns a little. "You say that now. But, eventually. You'll give in. Just like I did. Little rich girl with good grades and a happy family life, who would have thought that she has a drug addiction." Rebekah comments, focusing her attention back on the road as I slip the pills into my pocket and the car grows silent for the rest of the drive back to my house.

* * *

**-Bonnie-**

"So, Elena seems nice." I comment, pushing my piece of chicken Alfredo across my plate and glancing over at Damon who can't seem to really take his eyes off of his little brother. The sound of him dropping his fork against his plate causes both of us to jump a bit.

"When I told dad that he could trust me in taking care of you and that you moving out here was going to be a good idea. Stefan, I never mentioned anything about bringing drunken classmates of yours to my home!" Damon says, forcing Stefan's eyes to lift from his plate as he casually wipes his mouth with a napkin.

"Well, I guess you should have thought of that before you asked me to come out and live with you." He jokes with a playful tone as if it isn't that big of a deal. Making Damon even more angry with him.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Stefan! Do you really want to end up like your friend, Enzo?" He asks, his voice booming with irritation.

"Enzo screwed up, Damon! Do you want to know why he's really there? He's in that damn hell hole of a juvenile detention center because he took the fall out for me. He's going to spend the rest of his life with a criminal record, haunting him. All because of me." I swear that I can hear my own heart beat as Damon shoves up from the table and extends out his arm, grasping on to the collar of Stefan's shirt and dragging him away from our makeshift small dining table. His younger brother's body loudly slams against the carpeting as Stefan doubles over in pain and Damon hovers over him, spewing his words.

"You lied to me, you little son of a bitch and to everyone else! You made your best friend cover for your ass. But, it was you who drove drunk that night? It was you who sent that poor guy to the hospital after you barreled into him with that car, wasn't it!" Damon yells at him, his legs out stretched as he still clutches on to the collar of Stefan's dark green t-shirt and stares him down.

"Enzo took the fall out for me because I had too much hanging in the balance! He said that he owed me and it was his way of paying me back. I looked up to him and he did it to protect me. He was like a brother to me and I pleaded with him to let me turn myself in. But, he refused. We switched places in the car before the cops arrived. Enzo took the keys from me and since he had been drinking too, he blew a higher score than I did when we both got tested. Neither of us should have been drinking or behind the wheel. I spent a day in jail to sober up. But, Enzo got the brunt of my mistake." Stefan shouts back at him, forcing himself up off the floor as he continues to explain. "Enzo told me to lie, he told me to tell them that it was him and that I had no part in it except for being in the car while he was driving. He wiped down my fingerprints and told me to not touch anything when he sat behind the wheel as the cops showed up and arrested us both."

"So, the truth finally comes out. So, you get off scotch free without any consequences. Is that what you think?" Damon screams at him. They're standing feet away from each other, both tense and angry as I try to calm the situation down by getting in between them.

"Stay out of it, Bonnie. This is strictly a family matter." Damon snarls at me when I glance at him, trying to grab his attention and pulling at his arm, so that he can face me.

"I am family. I'm part of this family now and we can fix this." I try to tell him, hearing him huff out a breath.

"We can't fix this, Bon. Nice try. But, I can make certain right now that I will make his life a living hell. You asked for it, Stefan. You're charges may have been dropped by the cops and they blamed your best friend for something that should have been your fault. Enzo won't admit it now, I'm sure. If you two have sworn to not say anything about it. He's still going to lie for you. But, I swear to god that I will make you pay for your own stupidity." Damon hisses back at Stefan- who's glancing up at him, shock stirring in his eyes.

"What are you going to do, Damon?" Stefan asks him, breathlessly.

Damon turns towards me, his eyes softening a little before he clears his throat and then he pivots on his heel while finally turning to face his brother. "I'm not going to tell anyone the real truth. That will stay between us, for good. Because, if you want any chance at a good future. You can't have a criminal record, Stefan. So, we're going to keep up the rouse. However, I am giving you a year. If you stay clean and out of trouble. Then, you'll get to stay here." He stops, running his fingers through his hair as he secures his eyes on to Stefan and then adds. "Although, if you slip up, at all for any reason. I'm going to send you right back to dad and I'm going to tell him what really happened that night. Maybe you and Enzo can switch places again, like it should have been to begin with." Damon taunts, scoffing and shaking his head with disapproval.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I'm sorry, alright. I made a mistake and he's now suffering because of me. I can barely live with myself because of it. I can make this right, I promise. I can do better." We both hear Stefan vow as tears begin to well up into his eyes and he leans his back against the wall in the living room, near the front door of our apartment.

"You shouldn't just say that you can do better. Now, you need to prove it to me. One year, Stefan. That's all you've got. So help me god if you don't follow this through. Because, if you don't. You'll be losing one more brother and losing me, will be a lot more tragic than losing Enzo." Damon warns once more, brushing past me and walking into our bedroom without another word while Stefan and I stand there, staring at each other in disbelief.

* * *

**A/N: So, a little bit of Stefan's past in California and the real reason why he was sent to live with Damon is being revealed. Poor Enzo for taking the fall out for Stefan! Also, Elena's clearly hanging out with the wrong crowd...Rebekah is obviously nothing like she seems.**

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**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU.AH. Stefan Salvatore thought he had finally moved on from his past.But, when his daughter goes missing without a trace.He'll stop at nothing to get her back.Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years and who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC)

**I love getting feedback and playing off of the ideas you all think might develop, so leave your guesses in a comment. ;)**

**Enjoy & thanks for reading! **

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* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Four-**

**-Elena-**

It's like a pit in your stomach feeling, the gut wrenching push and pull of possible self destruction that seems to numb the pain for now. The loss of my parents had ruined me and created a hole in my heart that can't be filled. I was young. Yet, I still remember the night they kissed me on the cheek and told me that they'd be back in the morning. I had waited for them the next morning near the large bay windows in the living room, curled up in a blanket on the couch only to be told that they had perished in a fiery car crash just hours into the early morning.

That's the moment my life changed. It was the moment that everything I had known was flipped on it's head. Maybe that's why the allure of darkness has always been tempting, the need of losing yourself until you don't even know who you really are supposed to be anymore seems to be so seductively perfect that it makes my body tingle with anticipation.

Honestly, it's a fairly crappy excuse. But, when you barely have anyone in your life to turn too. I don't see the harm in turning to something that will make all this sorrow and darkness around me just disappear- even if it is temporary. I know that I shouldn't take them. They're not a solution to my problems and they won't make anything better. Although, as the constant yelling continues downstairs while I hear Jillian and John discuss my staying out late and my current attitude, the pull towards the pill bottle in my purse intensifies.

"God only knows what that girl is involved in, and she's clearly dragging Elena into this!" Jillian yells as I move my ear away from it being pressed up against my bedroom door, getting up off the floor and searching for my purse. Once finding it, I'm hesitant to the thought of what I'm about to do. However, the minute that I begin to place the pills into my trembling hands, a knock on my door startles me and they nearly spill all on to the white carpeting below my feet.

I bend down hastily, picking them up and blowing the debris from them as I hear her voice call out my name. "Elena, it's Jillian. Honey, I need to talk to you." Her voice is soft, an underline tone of concern behind it. My eyes dart around the room, shoving the pills back into my purse and hiding it underneath a pile of unfolded and dirty clothing.

Jillian exhales loudly against my door, her fingernails tapping lightly upon the wood framing. "Honey, please open the door. It's important."

I close my eyes, shaking my head and the thought of popping pills from my mind while getting up and unlocking the bedroom door. "Sorry, I was changing." I point out, turning just slightly to give her a small smile before taking a seat on to my bed and waiting for the impact of her lecture.

Jillian sighs, glancing over my room and then taking a seat beside me. She grabs a tight firm grip around my hands while locking her eyes on to my gaze. "We used to talk, about everything and when you came to us, I remember how we'd always make it a point to sit up for hours in this very room, just to talk about our days and what your future was going to be like. Elena, sweetie. I need to know what's going on. I want you to tell me, what has gotten into you?"

She's blunt and to the point. That's how Jillian has always been with me and honestly, that's what I've liked about her. However, she's trying too hard in trying to be my replacement parental figure- just like uncle John has been. Ever since my parents died and I was bounced around, they've made it their mission to know as much as they can about every aspect in my life.

"Nothing." I lie, it's easier this way. Lying to them has always been my greatest skill. Yet, tonight it seems to be failing me.

"I know what this is." She pauses, running her fingers through her hair before looking back at me. "The 8th anniversary of your parents death is coming up this month and..." Her voice trails off while she drops my hands and I feel my throat tightening, that feeling of not being able to breath properly starts to suffocate me. I must have forgotten to mention that small detail, I was 8 years old when my parents died. Just a little girl who ended up going into the foster care system and later a group home until John and Jillian decided to take me in.

"I know." I hear my own voice crack at the mention of what's coming up and my heart pounds a bit harder against my chest.

"You've been through a lot in your short life and now with Jenna coming into our lives and us deciding to sell the house. Sweetie, I want you to know that.-" I cut her off, tears and emptiness of losing the only family I still have starts to weigh heavy in my mind.

"Why don't you want me anymore?" My question is like a lead weight between us, tearing Jillian away from her initial thoughts as she grabs a hold of my hand and pulls me into her chest. She holds me close, just like she did the night I had came back into this very house, realizing that they had been granted the new owners and were now living in it. I cried on my bedroom floor for hours until she found me, scooping me up into her lap and rocking me back and forth like a small child as I cried into the curve of her neck. Jillian holds me now, almost doing the same thing until my crying calms and I pull away.

"Sweetie, it's not that at all." She pauses, wiping away my falling tears with her thumbs, cupping my face into her hands and forcing me to look at her as she adds on. "We want you to have a good life and a better opportunity than we'd be able to give you, and I think you'd get that with living in Texas. Elena, with John's new job taking him all over the place, I just don't see a reason for you to stay in Virginia any longer without any family here. We just-..." I can tell by her hesitation that she's really unsure of what else to say because she probably hasn't even thought this through herself.

"You two took on too much responsibility when it came to the scared little girl who came to live with you and now, it's taken a toll. You don't need to explain any further. I know what this is, you just don't want me anymore." I shrug my shoulders back, attempting to be understanding although I'm fuming inside.

"I'm pregnant, Elena. That's why we're selling the house and moving. John and I are starting our own family." She utters out as my eyes glue to her and we're both dead silent for a long time, truly unsure of what to say next to each other.

"Pregnant?" I question, the word forming inside of my mouth like acid as she nods her head happily.

I push away from her, getting up from my bed and smiling through my tears. "I'm happy for you, aunt Jillian. I really am. But, I don't understand why you want to sell the house. We can all live here together, we can be a family and I can help with the baby. We can all do family picnics and just be happy." I point out, the craving and need for a stable family within me grows as she inhales sharply and then she adds in with a saddened tone. "John's job is going to be taking him to Europe, Elena. And, that's why we called your aunt Jenna to come here. She has more room in her house for you and you won't be worried about a baby crying, you won't be.-"

My abrupt harsh words cut her off and I can see that they bother her as I turn to lock my gaze on to her eyes while lashing out. "I won't be disputing your perfect new little family. I get it, I was right. You don't want me anymore." Heaving out a heavy breath, I add in before slamming the door to my bedroom and planning an escape route out of the house in my head once again, I comment. "You could have just been honest with me. You both could have been because that would have hurt a little less. I'm too old for you, you both got bored with me. I get it, I do. Truth is, no one wants the poor little orphan girl, once again."

* * *

**-Damon-**

"He's still avoiding me since last night." I comment, stepping into the kitchen the next morning and pouring myself a hot cup of coffee as I notice Bonnie sitting on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. "You really need to call the moving company and have them find out where the hell our things are!"

"I'm on it." She hears me reply back, pivoting on my heel just in time to see Stefan attempting to leave the apartment without saying goodbye.

"So, is that how we're going to be now? Silent treatments and not even acknowledging one anothers existence, real mature." I comment, noticing that Stefan's head is hung low and his hand is placed flatly upon the front door to the apartment. "I have a study group, Damon." He comments without turning to look at me.

"A study group? Since when do study groups meet on Saturdays at 8am?" I ask him, clearly probing for the truth as Stefan exhales deeply and his back muscles tense up. I can tell in his posture that he's angry.

"What do you want me to say, Damon. Huh?" He suddenly shouts, turning around and glaring at me.

"That you're lying to me. Is it her? Are you going to meet up with that girl you brought over so inconsiderately to my home." I ask him, watching as his eyes shift away and he shakes his head, staring down at his feet. I can see the cell phone that dad had given him poking out from his jacket pocket when he inhales through gritted teeth.

"I don't have her phone number, Damon. But, since you want to know every damn thing I do from now on. Let me tell you, I was going to call dad. I haven't talked to him in weeks." He says, turning back towards the door and slamming it in my face before I'm able to even say anything. I can feel Bonnie's warm and soft hand pressed against my shoulder as she grips down a little and says with a sweet tone. "He misses him, you know. Your dad might not give a crap at the moment and have just sent him here without a second thought. But, Stefan cares. He loves him, Damon. Just like you do." Her hand sliding down my back makes me turn around towards her.

"I just..I worry about him and he-." I start to say. Although, Bonnie's finger on my lips makes me stop as she leans forward and replaces it with a soft and gentle kiss.

"He's going to be just fine. For goodness sakes. Stefan's just had a major change in the last two years. Your dad remarried, he got into the accident with Enzo and now, he's here. Living with us and going to a new school. Just give him a break. I don't know, take him out to breakfast or something. Spent some quality time with your brother, like you two used to do." She suggests as I smile at all the times in the past during college when I'd drive a 6 hour trip to where they had been living at the time just to spend the weekend with my little brother.

"Maybe we can take a road trip, I could show him this beautiful state. He thinks that it's shitty here. But, he's wrong." I comment out loud, more so to myself than to Bonnie as she smiles and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me in closer. "Sounds like a great idea. You can take him to the lake and teach him how to fly fish or something."

"My brother hates fishing." I point out as Bonnie lets out small laugh and then adds in quickly. "Fine, teach him how to shoot a gun then. I don't care, just spend some time with him."

"A gun? Really, Bon." She gently slaps my shoulder.

"He knows you own a few and it's not just because you're a secret agent." She laughs, sighing deeply and resting her head against my chest as I pull her into my tight embrace and kiss her forehead.

"Agent in training." I quickly correct her as she smiles. "I've missed you." Bonnie quietly says out loud as I place my chin on top of her head and exhale. "I've missed you too, sweetheart."

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Stefan asks me, a few hours later after taking Bonnie's advice I've decided to take him to one of the smaller county fairs in town, complete with one of the scariest roller coasters I've ever seen or been on.

I smile at him, nudging his shoulder. "I'm still pissed off at you and my ultimatum isn't changing. One year of good behavior and you get to stay. One screw up, just one and you are on the next plane back to dad." I sternly conclude, making sure that he understands that I'm staying firm in what I had said to him just last night.

"I..." We're walking side by side when he suddenly stops in his tracks and glances up to be completely distracted by something.

My thumb brushing over my contacts in my cell phone stops on Bonnie's name as I follow my little brother's eyes and I catch him staring at her. She's standing beside a petite looking blonde, tossing a baseball and trying to hit the red bullseye target, but she keeps missing it.

"Do you know her or something?" I hear myself ask as I turn towards him, watching him fix the collar of his shirt as he smiles and then adds in softly. "That's the girl I helped the other night. I'm just going to go say hi." Stefan tells me, brushing past me and walking towards her and her blonde friend before I can even stop him.

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"I want you to have them back, Bex. Seriously, I don't need them. I almost got caught by my aunt last night. I ended up calling Caroline and going over there since you weren't answering your cell phone. I didn't tell her about the pills. But, the last thing I need right now is this." I hear her saying out loud, her back turned towards me as she hands the blonde what looks like an orange pill bottle, filled with around 30-40 white pills. Rebekah looks irritated, annoyed almost as she shakes her head and huffs out a breath. "Fine, but if things get tough. You know where they'll be and were to get them. Besides, you can't be a goody two shoes forever, Elena. You'll need to break free from that persona soon enough. She's boring me."

Walking up to them, I can't really hear everything is it that they're talking about. But, they both separate quickly as I approach and Elena smiles at me sweetly right after Rebekah disappears out of view without even saying goodbye. "What was that little secret meeting, I just broke up?" I ask her, watching her feet in her light blue flats shuffle underneath the gravel while she inhales deeply.

"Stefan. You're the last person I thought I'd be seeing here tonight." She states, nervousness in her tone as I glance back behind me to see Damon chatting away with Bonnie on his cell phone. Although, keeping his eyes glued on to both of us.

"My brother dragged me out here after we got into a fight. It's his way of _'fixing things.'_ " I pause, locking my eyes on to her as she looks back over to Damon and nods.

"Shouldn't you be spending time with him then?" Elena questions. She does have a point, the whole idea of this outing between Damon and I was to talk about the fight that we had. But, now with me wandering off it seems to have become something entirely different. He's too caught up in his conversation with Bonnie to even notice that I'm now feet away from him.

"Yeah, I should be. But, I noticed you and I guess," I stop, exhaling before I continue. "I just wanted to see how you were doing from the last time I saw you."

"So, you're not stalking me?" Elena asks with a small laugh as I hear myself laughing a little too, falling into step beside her when we continue walking past the countless vendors that are selling prizes, food and promising to tell your fortune. Elena glances up at the small old looking vending machine that we've just passed that has a picture of an old white haired woman, her hand out stretched reaching for a crystal ball and enticing us both towards the machine.

"So, have you ever had anyone predict your future?" Elena asks, standing near the machine and looking at it with intrigue on her face. I shove my hands into my pockets, shaking my head.

"I don't believe in that sort of thing. I think we create our own destiny, our own future with the choices and actions we make." I tell her, seeing Elena drop a token into the machine and it lights up.

"Well, consider me a pessimist. I don't believe in good luck or good fortune. Although, it's fun to see what these things say." She states, moving a few of the buttons until I hear her read out her fortune to me with a small frown playing across her lips. _"We write our own destiny. We become what we do."_

I can't help but not laugh as I lean forward and place my hand on her shoulder gently. "I told ya."

Elena turns towards me, glaring. "That wasn't funny."

Shrugging my shoulders back and moving to stand beside her, I can feel her eyes on me. "It was a little."

"So, you came over here to tease me." She says with a smile, looking away from me as I stand just inches apart from her, turning my head to the side and staring at her side profile.

"I didn't." I'm trying my hardest to not laugh again. But, this whole teasing her thing has turned into a slight form of entertainment.

"Pretty sure that you did." She jokes, leaning into me as I catch the scent of her pear scented perfume.

"Listen, Elena. I meant what I said before you left my brothers place the other night. You're the only friend I have here so far and if you'd like...I'd like to get to know you some more." I sound like such an idiot, nearly begging her to hang out with me because I truly haven't met anyway as neat as she is so far.

"You sound desperate." She comments, nudging my shoulder and grinning. My green eyes lock on to hers and I lick my lips, shivering from the gust of cold air that's come our way.

"Maybe I am. Just a little." I reply, winking at her and hearing the crunching noise of the gravel when I look up to see Damon heading our way.

"So, you must be Stefan's friend." My brother comments loudly, walking up behind Elena and eyeing her as he gives me a perplexed look.

"Classmate and potential friend. Yeah, I guess you can say that." She laughs, extending out her hand to my brother as he shakes it and then smiles while announcing. "I'm Stefan's brother, Damon Salvatore. It's very nice to meet you..."

"Elena. Elena Gilbert." She quickly declares, firmly gripping and shaking my brother's hand before I watch them both drop their hands to their sides and Elena looks down at her watch nervously again.

"You're the one my wife wouldn't stop talking my ear off about. You made quite an impression with her by the way." Damon says, causing Elena to blush.

"About that- I'm sorry. I, um. I usually never drink and that night was just tough on me. This whole week has been tough on me, actually. It's the anniversary of my parent's deaths in two days and-." The clearing of my throat and the sound of Damon's cell phone going off once again breaks Elena's train of thought as she looks up at me and I give her an apologetic look.

"I should get going. I really need to go find Rebekah to take me home and it's going to take a while. So-." Damon places his hand on to the phone, covering up the lower portion as he points to me and then back to Elena. "We can take you home, don't worry about it. Right, Stef?"

I'm frozen, standing beside her and my brother as he gives me his casual "no worries, shut up and do it." stare. "Yeah, sure. Don't worry about it." I comment, hearing Damon tell her and I that he's going to need a while longer on the phone before we can leave. Elena backs away from him slowly, walking to my side as we stand and watching Damon talking to someone who doesn't sound like it's Bonnie at all.

"Your older brother seems nice. He seems like a busy guy though." Elena says with an observant tone, continuing to watch Damon pacing the fairgrounds and running his fingers through his thick jet black hair nervously as he pauses for a minute to explain something to whoever it is that he's talking with.

"Yeah, he is. He just started his new job, got back the other night after being away for a few weeks on and off for training purposes. He got assigned his new position. So, he's going to be having a heavy work load." I comment, kicking a rock underneath my feet as Elena nods and asks. "So, what does he do that keeps him so wrapped up into his work?"

I smile proudly, locking my eyes on to her. "He's an FBI agent."

"Oh." I can tell that she's unsure of what to say because looking at Damon now, he looks like a regular guy out on a Saturday night and just chatting away about god knows what on his cell phone to someone who sounds like is an important figure.

"I want to be like my brother one day. He actually said that if I keep my nose clean around this town that I can do just that." Her eyes grow wide as she smiles and looks over at me.

"You two seem pretty close." She says as I nod my head. "Yeah, we are. I look up to him and even though he doesn't know this just yet- I want to be just like him. I want to be an agent one day too."

She smiles at me sweetly, placing her hands into her pockets and huffing out a foggy breath while adding in. "And, I'm sure you will be one day. You are only 17 years old, Stefan. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

"Yeah, I know." I tell her, looking over at her briskly as my eyes focus in on my brother and he exhales heavily, suddenly looking agitated and stressed out.

"I'm sorry, work called and I had to answer it. So, should we get going?" Damon questions as he looks Elena and I over with a smile.

"Yeah." She states softly, stepping ahead of me and walking beside Damon as she explains where she lives to him and around what part of town.

* * *

"Thank you both for dropping me off." She tells us as she opens the backseat door and I feel Damon nudge my shoulder, whispering into my ear. "Walk her to the front door, be a gentlemen."

I hop out briskly, following Elena as she turns back around and asks. "Did he tell you to walk me to front door?"

"Yeah." I shrug as she smiles and takes a step up on the front porch of her house. "So, this is me." She states, nervously smiling as the light from the porch hits her face a little bit and I inhale sharply. She's beautiful and to be honest, it's the first time now that I'm noticing just how pretty she is. Her dark brown eyes smiling right along with her as she pushes a strand of her chestnut dark brown hair behind her ears and smirks at me.

"Maybe next time we can ditch your brother and do this again. Call me sometime." She says taking out a pen from her purse and writing her phone number down on my palm. Elena sighs while she points back to Damon who has his window rolled down and a grin as wide as I've ever seen on his face. "He seems sweet. But, I'd like for us to be able to hang out alone."

I laugh at her words, waving him off as he rolls his window back up and then I turn my attention back to Elena. "Yeah. But, I thought that you said that you just broke up with your boyfriend and..." My voice trails off as Elena takes a step towards me. Her lips hovering just centimeters away from my ear when she says with a low and soft tone. "Yeah. But, I like you and it's not just because you both drove me home or that you walked me to my door. It's because you seem nice enough to keep around."

The minute she backs away, I can feel my heart pounding loudly against my chest. I haven't been with anyone in a long time and ever since I broke it off with my old girlfriend in California months before the accident. I haven't even allowed anyone to get too close to me either, both on an emotional level and a physical one.

"I'm nice. I am. But, I've done some bad things." I blurt out, watching her eyes grow wide as she takes a step back and acts as if what I just said doesn't even matter that much.

"So have I. But, something tells me that you've done worse." She observes, smiling as her hand lingers just inches away from the collar of my shirt and she leans forward, locking her intense brown gaze on to me and licking her lips. "So, have you? Done worse?" She questions with a lingering smile.

I can't breathe from the proximity that we're in. She's so close that I can feel her body heat radiating off of me and it's making me dizzy. "Yeah and it's going to make you see me in a different light, I guarantee you that." I pause, backing away.

"I should go." My reply is this quick breathy tone while I find myself turning away from her face. Hearing the sound of the door unlocking and noticing an older salt and peppered skinny looking man open the door with a smile on his face.

"Elena, nice to see you home." He says to her. Her body tenses up instantly and she looks back up at me when he asks. "Who's your guest?"

"Just a friend from school." Elena says bluntly, clearing her throat and taking a step inside as to usher him back into the living room.

"I should go too. Thank you, Stefan. I'll see you around school, don't forget to call me sometime." She adds in, right before closing the door in my face and leaving me wondering about her life and why she seems to look so out of place within her own home, searching for an escape.

"What was that?" I hear Damon question, rolling down his window again and asking me the minute I make my way back into the car. I shrug my shoulder back while putting on my seat belt.

"I don't know." I comment, looking towards the front porch of Elena's large and lavish house with it's wrap around white porch, the green steps and the dark brown door all being outlined by the shining front porch lights.

"How well do you know this girl, Stefan?" He asks as I lock my eyes on to him and then glance down at my shoes.

"I can sniff out a liar like a bloodhound. It's part of my job description. So, don't you go lie to me." He warns, putting the keys into the ignition of his expensive Lexus SUV, glaring at me with wide blue eyes.

"I barely know her at all, Damon." I reply truthfully while pushing my back into my seat and trying to change the subject. However, the tone in his voice makes me realize that he's not dropping this until he's finished what he wants to say. The car jolts a little while Damon begins pulling away from the curb and then his eyes lock on to me as he says. "Don't get yourself involved with this one, Stefan. It'd be best if you just stayed her friend from a distance."

I laugh out an annoyed breath. What the hell is he even talking about? I barely know her and as much as I want to get involved with anyone, I just don't see Elena and I ever getting to that point or being that interested in each other. "Don't worry, Damon. I won't." I tell him in a firm tone, feeling his hand heavily being placed on my shoulder as he secures his eyes on to me and states. "She seems like a sweet girl who could use a friend. Which is totally fine. But, if you ever get involved with her, Stefan. Since, I know you and you'll probably try it. I want you to keep this in mind," He pauses, turning into the freeway as the city lights soften his reflection when he finally says.

"This advice is for your best interest and I just want you to remember that a girl like that is going to be looking for someone to save her. Just make sure that it won't be you." He clears his throat before he adds on. "You can't be her savior, little brother. Because you obviously can barely save yourself and right now, yourself is what you need to focus on." He points out as I think about his words, my mind drifting back to the night of the accident with Enzo and the repercussions of my actions. He's right, that night changed my whole life and now I do need to focus on myself. However, driving away from Elena's house. I can't seem to get her off my mind. Maybe Damon's wrong about that- about her and I avoiding each other. Maybe her and I could be each others saviors- if we just gave each other a chance.

Although, the looming fear of being each others down fall creeps into my mind too. I exhale deeply and shake those thoughts away, glancing out the window as the city lights shine in through . The idea of time being the only thing that will be able to tell what her and I will become calms my nerves as I silently think about how similar her and I truly seem to be.

* * *

**A/N: Up next...Stefan and Elena grow even more closer and that could lead them both into trouble. Also, Damon starts his new job as an agent in Virginia, let's just say that some familiar faces will be popping up soon as he starts solving cases from that little black book. ;)**

**-More to come!-**

 


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU.AH. Stefan Salvatore thought he had finally moved on from his past.But, when his daughter goes missing without a trace.He'll stop at nothing to get her back.Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years and who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC)

**Anyways, I just wanted to quickly say that I will be introducing Hayley Mikaelson in this chapter. I don't watch The Originals at all, so she won't really be based off of the Hayley from that show. I'm kind of making her my own character and let's all just pretend that she looks a little like Phoebe Tonkin though. ;)  
**

**Anyways, enjoy & here's chapter 5!**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Five **

**-Damon-**

"Have you been thinking about what I said a few weeks ago. About that Elena girl?" I ask him, walking into Stefan's bedroom and kicking his foot as his green eyes fly open and he groans, rolling on to his side and huffing out a breath.

"Yeah, actually. I'm going to do the complete opposite of what you suggested. Come on, Damon. She's a nice girl. Maybe a little messed up. But, who the hell isn't?" I hear Stefan ask as he covers himself up with the white comforter on his bed and I tug it off of him, hearing him groan even loader as he finally sits up and glares at me.

"You're going to what?" I ask him. My little brother rolls his eyes, swings his legs over the bed and stands up, still giving me a death glare. "I said that I'm going to get to know her on my own terms and not listen to anything you say." He pauses, rubbing his hands over his face vigorously and walking out towards the hallway and to the bathroom.

"Except for keep my nose clean and out of trouble, like I promised. I don't want to go back to California, Damon. That place wasn't good for me and I like it here." Stefan explains as I take a seat on his bed and raise my eyebrows at him. "You like it here because of that girl, right?"

He shrugs his shoulders back, tilts his head to the side and smiles a little. "Elena's part of it. So, yeah. I guess you can say that."

"So..." My voice trails off as Stefan pivots on his heels, speaking over his shoulder. "Go spend some time with Bonnie before you start that new job today. I'm going to go take a shower and call Elena up, see what she's doing."

"Be careful around her, Stefan." I warn him once more, my warning tone seeming to fall upon deaf ears.

"We're two 17 year old's with raging hormones. How much trouble can we really get into?" He asks me as I lay down on his bed, tossing one of his pillows to the side of me as I stare up at the ceiling. "A shit load if you aren't careful. Just, don't be stupid with this one."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm just going to ask her out to eat dinner with me. It's not like I'm asking her out to go party and get drunk. Even though, I heard from one of the football players last week that Elena's wealthy ex boyfriend who is also the mayor's son, throws some really amazing parties this side of town." He winks at me, watching me throw one of his shirts directly at his head while he ducks out of the way.

"Just keep your nose clean, kid. That is all I ask." I comment, pivoting on my heels when I hear him shout out in my direction. "Good luck today at work. Hopefully your co workers will like you!"

"Thanks." I utter out under my breath, feeling my stomach tighten at the thought of starting my new job.

* * *

A knock on the door to my new office on the fifth floor makes my head lift up from the stack of papers in front me as she leans against the door and smiles widely. "Agent Damon Salvatore. We've all been anxiously awaiting your arrival." A dark haired brunette, with skinny dark tanned arms and legs says as she walks into the room, adjusting her mocha colored pencil skirt. She extends out her hand to me, a beaming pearly white smile that shows her perfectly straight teeth makes her look even more bubbly in her personality than she seems to be. "I'm Hayley Mikaelson. Elijah's wife. It's a pleasure to meet you." She states, taking a seat in the chair towards the left of my desk and glancing out the large glass windows that look out towards the busy street below us.

"I'm pretty sure you're surprised to see me here. Elijah must have told you that I'm a police officer or something. He was clearly lying about that little part. He must have not wanted you to be intimidated by who I really am." She pauses, licking her lips and running her hand through her hair as she looks back at me, observing my perplexed facial expression.

"I'm part of the criminal investigation division. I've also been an undercover agent who has been lucky enough to have infiltrated some of the biggest drug busts this town as ever seen. Now, I'm part of the training division. And, you are my new candidate." My head tilts to the side as Hayley smiles and walks towards the front door of my office, shutting it quickly before she locks it and shuts some of the blinds, making the room darken a bit.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, leaning back into my seat as she smiles and places both of her hands firmly on to my desk with her palms flat, staring into my eyes as if she's wanting me to really understand what she's about to say. "My husband hired you for this position because he saw something in you that not a lot of people probably see. He's told me as much as he could about you. He already trusts you, Damon." Hayley backs away from my desk, arms crossed over her chest. "All I want to know is that he isn't going to make a mistake by making you a part of our team. Because, he's a very trustworthy man and he's been burned by many in this town."

"You both can trust me. I swear." My worried dark blue gaze makes Hayley smirk widely as she turns away from me for a moment, licking her bottom lip before she turns back around as she states. "So, you know what to do from here on out with the book, right?"

"The book?" I ask, trying not to sound completely clueless to her words. Reminding myself that Elijah said that no one can know about it.

"My husband told me that you know about it. So, there is no point in playing dumb with me. Don't worry, Damon. Only the three of us know about the little black book that my husband regrets never finishing and how important it is to him. I also now know that he's given it to you." She stops, her hand moving away from the door knob as she smiles a little and adds in. "So, I'm going to give you the basics about your first criminal. She breathes in a deep breath before adding on.

"He's a guy wanted for money laundering and drug possession. Long time criminal with a very deep history across the nation. Part of his charm is that he's a womanizer and he's gone by a few different nick names while he's been busy hiding from us, one of them being Ric. However, I just recently found out that he's changed his name again and his appearance in the last year when he got married." Hayley laughs a little, glancing down at her cream colored high heels when she lifts her head back to see my reaction when she states. "Stupid criminals, they never learn. Thinking that they won't eventually get caught. Apparently, this time he's trying to live a normal life and he's using his birth name."

"So, what's the name he's going by nowadays?" I ask her, tapping my fingernails upon the dark cherry colored desk in my office as she points to me and to the draw beside me, watching cautiously when I pull the book out and flip through the pages, the list all written in dark black ink.

"Alaric Saltzman." I mutter out with a low voice, feeling the pit in my stomach grow as my hand stops at the middle of the page and I once again lift my eyes to meet Hayley's. "Yeah, the only problem is that with all of his name changes, we can't pinpoint his exact location. All I currently know is that within the last few years he's become a family man. His wife's name is Jenna and they're probably living in a huge house in the suburbs with all of his stolen money in it that he's not telling her about."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" I ask her as she pulls the door open, turning her head to give me one last straight faced glance when she states in a firm tone before shutting the door behind her. "It's simple, Agent Salvatore. For your first assignment as part of this division, I want you to find out where he lives now and I want you to catch him before he does something even more reckless."

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Dinner. With you?" I question as we walk side by side, noticing that he has his hand on my book, snatching it away before I can even tell him that he shouldn't.

"Yeah, with me. We can get to know each other more. I can't cook worth shit. But, we can go out, you can even show me your favorite place in Mystic Falls where you hang out. So, what do you say?" He's hopeful and part of me really doesn't want to reject him because that look in his eyes, the one that's eager and full of hope would quickly diminish.

"Fine, it's not a date though." Stefan tilts his head to the side, pausing near the lockers as I finally open mine up and turn to grab the book from his hand. My backs against it, staring at him as his fingers brush against mine once he releases the textbook and he smirks a little. "Why can't it be a date?"

He's so close to me that I can catch the scent of cigarette smoke on his clothing, covered up be a light and fragrant aroma of a warm and spicy scented cologne on his thin gray colored jacket. "Because, I'm trying to get over Tyler. And, how's that going to look. The two of us hanging out, the two of us going out to dinner together. It's only been a few weeks since Tyler and I broke up." I remind him. Stefan licks the bottom of his lip as he steps back and looks around the nearly empty hallway. "What if I change your mind. What if I'm the one to help you get over Tyler Lockwood?"

"You want to be that person who helps me get over Tyler?" I nearly spit out my words, laughing at him as he gives me a confused look, nodding.

"Yeah, actually I do." He's confident, a little cocky in his tone. But, it's funny how he seems to surely believe he'll be the one who will make me fall in love all over again.

"Yeah, well. Too bad for you that since Tyler, I think love's overrated. There isn't a point to it, Stefan." I shoot back, watching his eyes narrow as he shakes his head, speaking softly.

"There is a point to it, Elena. Loving someone and being loved in return can be amazing if you just open your mind and your heart to it. Don't you want to feel that?" Inhaling sharply, I stare at him for a long drawn out moment. He can't be serious, he's making me feel something I shouldn't- slowly warming up to what feels like something I'm never going to experience.

"I do. But, it's going to take a lot than going out to dinner and your sweet talking to butter me up to the idea of being in love or even feeling that particular emotion. I've had my heart broken by too many people. I start loving someone and then I get disappointed. It's a vicious cycle that I can't escape." I comment, biting down on my lower lip because of the honesty within my words. Standing in front of him and admitting that, has been the first time that I've ever told anyone how I really feel about that little thing called _love._

"Me too. But, I'm trying to change that." He shrugs, turning his head and adjusting the strap to his backpack.

I'm quiet for a long time, closing my eyes as Stefan takes a step forward, softly whispering against my ear as he says in a sweet and underlined tone of pure sincerity. "Don't be afraid of me, Elena. Because unlike everyone else in your life, I don't want to hurt you."

My eyes open back up just in time to see him walking down the hallway towards his next class as he smiles at me and says over his shoulder before entering into the room. "After class today. Text me where you want to meet and I'll meet you there."

* * *

"A bridge. You like to hang out near a bridge?" He asks me as I pivot on my heels, laying down a gray and red colored blanket. Stefan looks around the landscaping, smiling as the water rushes by and then sits on the blanket I brought with our take out pizza boxes.

"It's not just any bridge. My parents used to take me out here when I was a little kid. My dad taught me how fish not too far from here. It's my escape whenever the world gets too stressful." I reply back, smiling as he opens the pizza box and the smell of melted cheese, pepperoni and tomato sauce fills the air around us.

"So, what was your life like back in California?" I ask, taking a bite of my pizza and feeling the sauce smear across the corner of my mouth. Stefan leans over, handing me a napkin.

I watch while he takes a bite of his slice too, swallowing down his food before he smiles at me and leans back on to his elbows, enjoying the peaceful and calm noise from the water and the birds flying overhead. "It was simple. It's just my dad. He remarried after my mom died and his new wife, Anne. She isn't the nicest human being in the world. She thinks that we could have been one big happy family and she wanted me to be something I wasn't. So, I left." He wipes his mouth, taking a sip from the pepsi can beside him.

"You left because of your step mother?" I'm suddenly intrigued by him, trying to figure out why someone would move thousands of miles away from their hometown to start over because of his parents. Something seems off, that can't be the only reason. However, I don't want to probe and push too much just because my gut is telling me that there's more to his story.

Stefan's green content gaze changes as he clears his throat and then blinks his eyes rapidly at me. "I'm going to be honest with you. Because, you seem like you'd understand. The rumors, the one's that have been floating around school since I got here about me, with people saying that I ended up in Juvenile hall and nearly killed someone. There are some truth to them." I'm frozen in place, only dropping the pizza in front of my hands that have now settled on the paper plate that's between us as I gawk at him.

"They are right. I should have a reason to be afraid of you then? You're like some crazed teenage psycho path." I blurt out, feeling as his hand settles on mine until my eyes meet his and he shakes his head. "I left because I caused an accident that nearly killed a man and sent my best friend to prison because we switched places in the car. He took the fall for me. I'm not a crazed psycho. Honestly, Elena I came here because I am trying to get as far away as I can from the person who I used to be. "

"So, who'd you used to be?" I ask him, pulling my hand away as he fidgets against the blanket and then he secures his gaze on to me again before he states. "A reckless idiot that got into a lot of trouble and caused too many people a lot of pain. Someone who's now paying the price for it all."

"Sounds pretty familiar. Except that I'm trying to forget about my parents deaths that destroyed me." I comment, glancing down at my own hands as Stefan huffs out a breath and rolls over on to his back, looking up at the sky and observing the flock of birds flying above us.

"Looks like we've got a lot more in common than I had thought we did." I tell him, following his lead as I move the pizza boxes to my left side and lay down beside Stefan, keeping my distance and placing my hands onto my stomach as he turns his head to smile at me when he says. "Yeah, we're two fairly messed up kids who have a hard time trusting people and letting them in."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

The day has quickly faded into the evening and before we know it. We've spent a total of 4 hours talking by the bridge, listening to the water and laughing with each other. I've forgotten how good it feels to laugh, to smile and be my age around someone like her.

"I had a good time today. Thank you for coming out here and meeting me." She says, giving me a toothy grin and bumping into my shoulder. I stop in my tracks, smiling widely when she does the same as she turns back to me and asks. "Aren't you coming?" She's already standing by the car door, unlocking her door.

"So, when can we do this again? The pizza, the talking for hours. This whole date thing?" I ask her, watching as Elena's car keys in her hand stop from moving and she turns back to face me, wiping the smile from her face and her bright brown eyes.

"I can't do this again, Stefan. Don't get me wrong, it was nice. But, I can't do this again." Elena hesitantly says as her back presses against the drivers side car door of her red beat up old mustang and she closes her eyes, not even noticing that I've moved closer to her, inches apart from where she now stands.

"Why not?" My question comes out with a low voice and continuous sound of fear from being rejected.

It doesn't take long before she abruptly shouts out at me, taking a step forward and glaring at me with her brown eyes secured on my face. "Why do you want to do this again? Why do you want to keep getting to know me. Jesus Christ, Stefan! There are so many other girls at school that you can force the same reaction that you're looking for out of me. Go play around with one of them!"

"Play around? Is that what you think I'm trying to do with you? I'm sorry that I'm trying to be a friend to you and that I'm actually starting to like you." I admit, crossing my arms over my chest and watching as she huffs out a breath, the mixture of cold air and Elena's breath creating a light mist that leaves her mouth when she softly replies with a confused stare. "How can you like me? You barely know anything about me."

I smile at her nodding while replying back. "I know. But, I can't explain this push and pull feeling towards you, it's like electricity. Like two magnets being drawn to each other with a rational cause." She's right, I do barely know her. But, I'd spend hours, months, maybe even years getting to know as much as I can about her just to hear her say that she feels this slow building tension between us too that's slowly developed in the last few weeks between us.

"You're the mysterious new guy and I'm the girl who everyone knows and who has a reputation to uphold. You've got all these secrets and people talk, Stefan. They talk about me, about you. And, if they see us..If they-." My warm hands on her cold skin cut her off, there's this sudden heaviness in my chest as Elena's body trembles against mine that's pressing hers against the driver's side of her closed car door.

"Let them talk about it then, the whole school can come up with their own conclusions about us, Elena." I tell her, brushing a strand of her fallen brown hair out of her face and twirling the small piece between my fingers. Her hair feels like silk in between my fingers and her floral rose scented perfume fills my lungs when I inhale deeply. "What's the truth then?"

"That I like you and that I think you're absolutely beautiful." I tell her honestly, my breath leaving a mist as I speak while my own hands shake against her cheeks. Elena licks her lips, deadlocking her gaze on me when she leans forward with a sly smile. "That's not good enough."

My head leans back, my hands dropping to my side as I lift my head up and gaze up at the sky that's starting to change into a dark pinkish and stormy looking color, clouds darkening and filling with rain. "What's good enough for you?"

I straighten myself back out, rolling my eyes and placing my hands into the pockets of my jacket as Elena presses her body back against the car door. "A guy with no secrets and who's honest. It's that simple."

"Okay then, I'm honest and I have no secrets because I've told you them already. I'm not perfect though and if that's what you might be looking for then. I can tell you right now that you won't find that in me." I comment in the most sincere tone, reassuring her that even though I'm not perfect that I won't play around with what I can already sense is her broken fragile heart.

"Why should I believe you?" Elena questions, placing her hands over her chest and pushing away from her car door with the heel of her foot. With a curious gaze, she begins walking around me and eying me up and down as if she's expecting me to slip up and not be truthful with her.

"Because, neither of us won't know what we might be missing out on if we didn't try this. Take a chance, Elena. Let me into your life." She laughs a little, standing in front of me as she uncrosses her arms, placing them against her hips when she asks. "And why on earth would I do that?"

The answer is simple. Staring us both in the face as I take a step towards her, fumbling us backwards, pressing Elena's back against her car door again as my hands caress her heated and warm cheeks. I secure my green gaze on to hers and I utter out into the cold, mostly sounding like an idiot who just happens to be speaking the truth. "Because, you're just as broken as I am and I've already made so many mistakes in my life. I don't want to not get the chance to know you for who you really are, for the girl you don't let anyone else see, for the girl I know that you are beneath all that hurt and pain. And, I don't want you to not get the chance to know the guy who's buried under things he could have done better and all the regrets he's made so far. Because, I can do better, I know that I can be a better person and you might just be that missing link that I need to prove that to myself." I comment in a low voice, leaning into her and capturing her warm and soft feeling lips against mine as my hand slips into her hair all the while feeling Elena pull me closer towards her, deepening the kiss between us as she softly whispers against my ear before pulling away from me completely. "And, you might just end up being one of the best mistakes I've ever made."

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you all think? **Any thoughts on the addition of Hayley to the story? And what about what Damon found out about Alaric?! Yikes! Lastly, as far as** Stefan and Elena's relationship goes. I know that it seems to be moving pretty fast. Please note that I'm writing it like this on purpose and to move along the story to where I want it to be. **

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**Have a question about this story and want to know a little bit more about where I might be taking it? Please ask your questions here: /BePassionate_24  
**

***I'll gladly answer as many questions as I can without giving too much away. ;)***

**-More goodness to come!-**


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU.AH. Stefan Salvatore thought he had finally moved on from his past.But, when his daughter goes missing without a trace.He'll stop at nothing to get her back.Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years and who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC)

**A/N: Enjoy all. I promise that I will be eventually adding more P.O.V.s into this story and not just continue with Stefan and Elena's throughout it. However, we just haven't gotten to the particular point where I want to start adding in a few more. So, hopefully none of you mind it too much.**

**Anyways, Enjoy & thanks so much for reading!  
**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Six **

**-Elena-**

"You've been staying out later and later over the last month. I was going to say something a few weeks ago. But, I figured that you'd stop. Pretty surprised you aren't skipping school too. Also, Elena the next time someone gives you a hickey on your neck, cover it up before you come downstairs. It's really unpleasant to look at." Jillian observes as I pass by her while grabbing for the coffee cup at the top shelf in the kitchen, nearly dropping it on to the counter when she asks. "What's his name and have you slept with him yet?"

I cough out a breath, turning towards the refrigerator when she walks over and slams it shut with her hand. "We should talk."

"No, aunt Jillian. We shouldn't. Besides, I already know all about sex. What it means to give oral and everything else that sex involves...Should I go on?" Her face reddens as she looks down at the floor while I continue to talk. "We really don't need to have this talk. Besides, whatever I don't know. I'm pretty sure that I can look it up." It's funny how her eyes widen and she stares blankly at me for a really long time.

"Elena, all I meant was..." I can tell by the tone of her voice that she isn't even sure of what she wanted to say next and that now she's fishing for ways to change the subject. "He's responsible, my boyfriend. You and uncle John don't need to worry that I'm going to get pregnant. You two can barely handle me, I cringe at the thought of bringing a child into this house at 17."

Jillian's body tenses as we both turn towards the back door when it opens up widely and John steps inside, muttering under his breath how he was half way to work and then he realized that he had forgotten his cell phone. "What's wrong with you?" I can hear him ask her as I pour myself a cup of coffee, resisting the urge to say anything. Jillian scratches her head, turning back towards me which forces words out of my mouth that embarrass them both. "Your wife tired to talk to me about sex. I'm dating a guy, by the way. His name is Stefan and he's really sweet. Only problem is that we're both virgins and well, Jillian thinks that we're already having sex. So, I just wanted to clear the air by saying we're not." They both stand near the back door, eyes glued to me as I take a sip of my steaming hot coffee and smirk a little, pivoting away from them and lastly adding over my shoulder. "But, neither of you need to worry, I'll make sure to remind my boyfriend to use a condom. Since, none of us clearly wants me bringing home an unexpected surprise."

* * *

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" I ask him, watching as Stefan lifts his head up from my pillow and laughs a little into it. "I shouldn't be here, sneaking into your room while your aunt and uncle are downstairs. This is breaking so many rules."

He watches me with cautious eyes as I place my coffee mug down, locking the door to my bedroom and walking over to the bed beside him, laying my hand flatly against his chest and pushing him back into my pink comforter that's bunched up behind his back. Stefan smirks a little as I climb onto the bed and straddle his lap. I can feel his hands grip me firmly while they rest against my hips and then slide down my legs.

"No, you should be here. I want you here." I comment, pushing off of him and laying beside him as I feel Stefan's hand slip into my hair and I lay my head against his chest, feeling him massage my scalp.

"When the time is right, I want you to meet them. But, it's too early and too soon for that now." I say out loud, exhaling deeply as Stefan chuckles out a breath. "Well, you met my brother and his wife."

"So, what are you saying?" I ask, raising my gaze just a little as he laughs again. "I mean that it shouldn't be a big deal if I meet them now or later."

"How am I going to explain you being in my room this early in the morning?" He hears me point out, watching Stefan slowly lift up as he kisses my temple and straightens himself out. "I'll just leave your room like I came into it, through the window."

My eyes land on to him, shaking my head as I watch him open the window back up and take a step out of it with one foot. "See you in a few minutes." He smiles, winking at me while I push up off of the bed and watch him lower himself down to the ground using uncle John's ladder that he never took down while checking the gutters. It doesn't take long for the doorbell to ring and then I hear my name being shouted from downstairs. "Elena! There's a young man here who says he knows you."

* * *

"So," Jillian pauses, mixing cream into her coffee as she leans over the cup and eyes Stefan cautiously. "How long have you two known each other?" She asks, watching me fidget in my seat when her dark gaze lands on to me.

"Two months, we've been seeing each other for two months." I state proudly, thinking about the time that we've spent down at the bridge together, avoiding Stefan's house and my own until a few weeks ago. It was his idea to "study" at my house meanwhile sneaking into my room without getting caught and to make a long story short, here we are!

"Two months and I'm just now meeting you?" Jillian questions with a perplexed stare, tilting her head to the side and tapping her hands against the table as she smiles over both of us. I can tell that she wants to say more than she's leading on. However, she's probably saving more of her criticism for when after Stefan leaves.

"So, Stefan. Did you grow up around here or..." Her voice trails off as I feel Stefan's hand grasp on to mine underneath the table as he intertwines our fingers, clearing his throat before speaking directly to Jillian. "I grew up in California. I have a step brother and sister who still live there with my parents. My mom died when I was younger and my dad remarried. Anyways, I live with my older brother, Damon and his wife, Bonnie now. We moved here around the same time that I started school and met your niece." He smiles, glancing over at me as I lock my eyes on to him.

"Hm, interesting story. Now, what are your intentions with my niece?" Jillian asks bluntly as both Stefan and I stare up at her with pure astonishment. She didn't just ask that question to a guy that I've just started dating...Oh god? She sure did and the look on her face is stone cold, like she's trying to scare him away from me!

Stefan looks so calm though, that it's pretty amazing. He doesn't even bat an eye to her when he inhales sharply. "I promise that I won't mess up her life or my own.. Elena and I have a lot of similarities and I think that's what attracted me to her. We're both searching for something more meaningful in life. And, I like her a lot, Jillian. We're just 17 and you might see this like some whirlwind high school romance. But, I want you to know that I'm a good guy and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my growing relationship with your niece. Within the short time that we've been together, she starting to mean a great deal to me."

Jillian leans back into her seat, licking her lips and curling her fingers around her mint colored coffee mug. "For being just 17 years old. You seem like you know a lot about caring for someone, young man. Listen, I'm glad that my niece has found someone who seems to truly like her. However, if you break her heart in anyway. I will come after you and I will hunt you down. Understood?"

Stefan nods, uncertain of what else to say. "Good. Now, are either of you hungry?" She asks with a casual cheerful tone as if she didn't threat him at all. I glance back at her and tilt my head to side, silently figuring out the best way to end this interrogation of my boyfriend!

"No, I was actually planning on taking Elena out to breakfast before our classes start. We have a late start today. That's why I'm here so early." He lies to her with ease. I notice Jillian frown a little. She inhales deeply and nods her head at us. "Fine then. You two go have some fun. Just make sure to keep my niece out of too much trouble." She winks at him. I lean over, kissing Jillian's cheek and hugging her tightly as she whispers faintly into my ear. "Be careful."

* * *

"Planning on taking me out to breakfast? Stefan, you didn't even drive your car here." I point out, nudging into him with my shoulder as he lifts his arm and pulls me close, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. "Because, I drove something else here. I just made sure to park a few blocks down from your house just in case your uncle was still home, shining up his shot gun." He smirks, matching my steps as I adjust my purse and feel his hand slip into my hair.

"Did you mean what you said to my aunt about you really caring about me?" I suddenly blurt out as he smiles and glances down at the ground, watching our steps match as we walk to what I can tell in the distance is a motorcycle.

"Of course I did. Elena, you've made my time here amazing so far and I don't want to ruin that." He adds in, lowering his hand to capture my own as I feel a tight squeeze against my hand when out palms meet.

"You have a motorcycle?" He hears me ask once we get closer and he spins the keys around in his other hand, almost dropping them on to the ground. "It's going to be mine in a few weeks. Once I turn 18, Damon is making me this my birthday present." He confidently says as I scratch my head with confusion. "You have a permit for this thing, right?"

Stefan laughs, tossing a helmet in my direction as he smiles and nods. "I got it a few weeks ago before Damon showed me this beauty. He told me that I could take it out early for a spin. I've driven it by myself a few times already without him really knowing. But, I wanted you to be the first one to experience it with me." He smiles widely, stepping in front of me and helping me with the helmet.

"I don't know..I don't like high speeds or things that move fast. Cars, I'm fine with them. But-." My rambling words get cut off as I watch Stefan extend out his hand to me once he hops on the shiny dark blue and black motorcycle, placing the key into the ignition and speaking loudly over the engine that's just come roaring to life. "I won't let anything happen to you and I promise that we won't go far. All you need to do is hold on tightly."

"Hold on tightly?" I ask, making slow and hesitant steps towards the bike as he just about lifts the kickstand up and balances himself out on it.

"Yeah, hold on tightly." He repeats, adjusting his helmet. I can feel his body in front of mine tense up as I slide onto the back of the motorcycle, he takes one of his hands off of the handles, guiding my arms so that they are securely wrapped around his lower torso.

"Ready?" I hear him shout out as I feel the bike jolt and then before I can even tell him that I'm not, Stefan sends us sailing down the street and right into the busy main road.

* * *

"Covington, Virginia?" I stammer out, the moment my wobbly legs feel the ground and I glare at him. I thought he said we were going to go to school and to a place around the corner, not a mini road trip down US Route 60!

Stefan takes his helmet off, shrugging his shoulders back and telling me to calm down. "Relax, I wanted to spend the day with you and lying to your aunt was the only way. Also, I knew that telling you the truth about where we were going would have pissed you off, like you are now. So, I told a little white lie. It's not that big of a deal, Elena." He tells me, trying to justify his actions as he takes the keys from the ignition and places them into his leather jacket's front pocket.

"How about that breakfast and maybe some sight seeing?" He asks smirking a little and taking a hold of my hand into his own, tugging me along. But, my firm stance with my feet planted to the ground force him to stop in his tracks. My hand drops back to my side as I place both of them on to my hips and tap my foot against the warm concrete sidewalk, trying to hide the smile on my face while the warm sun hits my skin.

"Wait." I shout out to him, watching Stefan slowly pivot towards me, running his hand through his hair.

"What?" He asks me, eyebrows lifted just slightly.

"How did you know about this place, how did you find it?" I hear myself question him, giving him a perplexed look and listening to him let out a laugh. Stefan licks his lips, walking over to me and just when he's standing right in front of me he says. "One of the very few things that you said to me when we first started hanging out was that you had never gotten the chance to see the town where your parents met and fell in love. You were too young when you lost them and you said that Covington seemed so beautiful in the pictures that were taken by your parents while they lived here, you wanted to see it for real. So, I did some digging and found a few of those places." He smiles at me, lifting up his hand and caressing my cheek as he leans forward and leaves a quick kiss upon my forehead.

"You remembered all that?" I ask him, closing my eyes to the touch of his hand as I hear him softly reply back. "How could I forget. So, if being in the very town where your parents fell in love is part of keeping their memories alive, then that's why we're here." He states confidently, turning away from me as he turns his head and asks over his shoulder. "How about go eat something first before we explore the city?"

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"Thank you, for this. It's beautiful." She says softly, resting her head against my shoulder as we both look out towards the greenery and vast acreage that seems nothing sort of endless and beautiful. We ate a local diner and asked around about this place. So, that's why we're now standing on top of a hill, looking out towards a massive amount of trees. I can hear a creek down below us and looking out further I catch the smile on Elena's face when she spots a medium sized looking waterfall in the distance.

"You're welcome." I comment, pulling her into my side, rubbing her arm gently as we watch the sun begin to fade and I cough out a breath. "We should be heading back home. It's going to take us about a half hour to get home and it'd be better if we left before the sun goes down. I want to get you back safely."

Elena shyly smiles at me, nodding while continuing to stare out into the distance. "You know what my favorite part of today was with you?" Her question makes me turn back to her, a small smile spreading across my face when I ask. "What?"

"When you took me to the church where my parents got married today. I saw it in pictures and I had always imagined it in my head. But, seeing it up close and walking down the same aisle that they both set foot on, it meant a lot to me." She pauses, glancing down at her hands before placing them into the pockets of her jacket and taking a step towards me. "I had always dreamed about getting married there one day, after I found the right guy and I've always been curious as to what it looked like."

I nod at her, kicking a rock under my feet that's stuck in the grass as my gaze lifts up and I hear myself mutter out probably the silliest idea I've ever had. "Why don't we go back to the church and make a promise to each other when you turn 18?"

"What?" Elena questions as I smile at her, she's laughing now as her eyes give me a confused glance.

"It would be fun and since the people there knew your parents. I'm pretty sure that they'd think it would be cute too. You and I should come back up to Covington and make a promise to each other at the church your parents got married at." I explain to her, listening to her footsteps get closer as she grabs a hold of my hands and sweetly asks. "And, what would part of that promise sound like?"

I shrug my shoulders, smiling widely before leaning into her and whispering against her ear. "You'll just have to meet me at the church in four months to find out what I'm going to promise to you. Let's just say that I don't want you to miss it."

"I won't miss it for the world! What time and what day?" Elena asks with an intriguing smile and eager tone as I lock my eyes on to her and state firmly. "6pm. December 16th. The day of your 18th birthday."

"Okay." Elena tells me, wrapping her arms around me and kissing my cheek as I hold her against my chest, relishing in the warmth of her body this close to mine. "Just make sure that you're on time." I comment as I bury my face into the curve of her neck and pull her closer into me, feeling Elena's body relax a bit in my embrace as she laughs out. "Of course, I will be. I'll even wear my favorite peach colored dress just for you as long as you promise to wear a tux."

I laugh into her hair, pulling back a little and placing both of my ice cold hands on to her warm feeling cheeks when I kiss her lips and back away while staring directly into her eyes. "I promise. I will."

* * *

**-Damon-**

"You and Bonnie should come back home for the holidays this year. You know, we miss you guys." Dad tells me in a saddened tone as I look around my office. It's been weeks since I've talked to him about anything in particular and in his old fashion way, out of the blue he calls me to talk about holiday traveling and how he wants to come out to see us or how we should come home for a few weeks.

"I can't afford a few weeks. I don't have that much vacation time and Bonnie's work load has increased from teaching one first grade class to adding one more to her schedule. I'll talk to Stefan though, once he gets home and see if he'd be interested in coming to visit you guys." I tell him, not even sure where the hell my brother is at the moment. I haven't seen him in a few days, just small glimpses of him as he left for school and before I could even catch him to say anything. He'd already be out the door and I'd be leaving for work.

"How's he liking it there? Are his grades okay?" I hear him ask as I inhale sharply. Bonnie would know about all of this and should could totally tell my dad these things. She's the one who's seen Stefan more in these past few weeks than I have. Although, she just conveniently stepped out to go grab something from the car.

"He's alright. He met a girl and she appears to be taking up most of his time." I comment, trying to make conversation as I laugh out with a smile. "He asked me the other day how soon was it for him to tell her that he loves her. To be honest, as far as I'm concerned. This isn't the same kind of love he had back in California, this is just puppy love. Dad, this thing he has with this girl. I know deep down in my gut that it won't last and I don't want him to get in too deep with her. I guess what I'm saying is that I would for them to cause each other too much heart ache."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble, Damon." He questions as I exhale deeply. "I'm not really sure. She's a sweet kid and he loves spending time with her. But, I just feel like they're rushing into feelings and maybe expressing their emotions for each other too soon."

He's silent for a long time as he laughs too. "Damon, you seem to forget what puppy love is. You had it with Bonnie too. Just leave your brother alone. Although, make sure that he isn't irresponsible with this young lady." He tells me, hanging up the phone just as I hear the front door to our apartment unlock and Stefan sets inside, trying to quietly sneak back in and avoid me.

I watch his body tense up as I lean back into the couch cushions and clear my throat. Stefan's still facing the door and I can see the motorcycle keys dangling from his fingers when I state. "The next time you leave this house, not calling me and telling me where you are going. I'll make sure to let dad know."

"So, you steal the motorcycle without telling me, you spend all day out and didn't go to class. Stefan, this is far from what we agreed upon." I shout at him, watching him turn to face me as I lift up from the couch and scoff out a breath.

"You wouldn't understand, Damon." He tries to argue as I slam my fist against our coffee table and glare up at him while the whole table shakes from the force of my hand slamming against it. "I wouldn't understand? You've got to be kidding me. I was your age once. I was in love once too. But, I didn't let it consume me!"

"Allow me to tell you something little brother. Dad called, he wanted a progress report about your grades and your life here so far. And, instead of telling him about the agreement that you and I made to keep you in line. I told him how well you were doing and how you seemed to have met a sweet girl at your school." My anger simmers a little as Stefan swallows the fear in his voice down and turns to face me.

"I am trying to keep this damn family from falling apart, Stefan! I'm spending hours upon sleepless hours away from my wife, working a new job that is challenging me far beyond anything you'd ever understand and the last thing I need is for you to be acting just like you were back in California!" I shout at him, noticing his head lower as he glances down at the floor and then back up at me with sudden tears in his eyes. Stefan's bottom lip is quivering as he takes a step towards me and through falling tears down his cheeks, he says quietly. "I'm trying to be different, Damon. And you might think that me spending a lot of time with Elena is consuming my life. But, it's not. She's the best part of being here. What her and I have isn't puppy love. It's more than that and I know that you might not be able to see it. Although, I can feel it in my heart. I'm falling in love with her and it's hard to explain. But, I care about her. I care about her more than I've ever cared about anyone in my life and I refuse to let her go no matter what you say."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? What did you all think about the cute Stefan and Elena moment and the promise they made to each other? Like I've said before, I know that their relationship seems sped up. However, I do have my reasons. So, things will be explained fairly soon. ;) And, I'm hoping that you all are enjoying their journey. :)**

**Reviews are appreciated!**

**-More to come!-**

 


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you guys so much for the support and reviews for this story. I'm so happy that a lot of you are liking it and finding it interesting. I want to say that this chapter is going to set things in motion for the rest of the story and that things are just going to be getting even more complicated.  
**

***Please note that there are flashbacks in this chapter which are in italics and that this chapter has a small time jump of 4 MONTHS. So, in the story at this point Elena and Stefan have known each other for a total of six months.**

**Anyways, hopefully this won't be too confusing for any of you because I really tried to explain things the best I could.**

**Enjoy & Thanks so much for reading**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate24  
**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Seven**

**-Elena-**

" _Are_ _you that we should do this today?_ _" I had asked him nervously as he tugged on to my arm and pulled me along with him into the church. It was a beautiful sunny day as the sun shinned down upon my face and I smiled up at him. Stefan had done exactly what he had promised, wearing his neatly pressed_ _black tux_ _with a pair of black dress shoes that were nicely polished. The smile on his face_ _was_ _one that I will never forget- pure happiness. "We're going to be late birthday girl!" He shouted back at me as I stood on the steps, glancing up at the large red colored brick building with an awe struck expression on my face,_ _feeling as if it was all a dream. I was going in there with the guy I've started to really care about so that we could confess our emotions and feelings without any barriers._

" _Take a picture of us!"_ _Stefan_ _heard me shout out, causing him to turn around and shake his head._

" _Elena, we're just doing this for fun."_ _He_ _had replied simply, extending out his hand to me anyway, even if he had thought it was a stupid gesture. I didn't care because in the moment when he pulled me close to him and kissed my cheek. I knew, something within my heart told me that what he and I had developed_ _in this short amount of time_ _wasn't just some high school romanc_ _e. I could feel him_ _plac_ _ing_ _his arm around m_ _y lower back while he_ _whispered into_ _my ear_ _softly. "I'm falling in love with you, Elena."_

I can't control my racing mind tonight, memories are overwhelmingly flooding it. There are so many things that I should have said on that day with Stefan at the church, there are so many things that have brought us closer since then and yet in these last six months that we've known each other. Tonight, I've never felt more further away from him than I do now. My 18th birthday had come and gone and two weeks after my birthday. I found myself saying goodbye to both Jillian and John for the first time, watching them leave to live their new lives without me. After weeks andmany failed attempts at trying to reason with them to not sell my childhood home that I had grew up in, they finally did. Jenna came back into my life around the same time that the house finally had a for sale sign up in the front lawn and told my uncle and my aunt that it was better if I left for Texas in the middle of my junior year. Neither of them said a word. They suggested instead that her and I live in an apartment or that I switched school, just until the school year was over and then we'd leave Mystic Falls for good and I could start fresh in Austin, Texas like she had originally planned when I met her.

I can hear them fighting over me some more. They've been doing it for the last two hours on the phone. He tells her to not bring me home with her and then Jenna rebuttals with saying that she's the only family I have left and that she can't possibly understand why he doesn't agree upon this anymore. Caroline calls me the minute that I can hear Jenna's yelling increase and she's nearly screaming at him while he shouts out over the speaker phone.

"It's the middle of her junior year of high school, I know that! But, you can't just pull her out of school and take her away from her friends just because you want to bring her earlier than expected to Texas with you!" Alaric yells as his voice echos into the silence of my bedroom.

"She's my niece and John can't take care of her any longer. They finally sold the house and they've moved on, Ric. Everyone has moved on and it's time that Elena does the same! Elena's a young girl who needs stability right now and I'll wait for a few months with her until she finishes her junior year in Virginia, even if it's at another school. But, once it's over. I'm bringing her back home with us whether you like it or not. I am the only person that this girl can rely on. I am the only family that she has and I'm going to make damn well certain that she lives a better life than what she's been living in this town and since she lost her parents!"

The new apartment is about ten minutes away from the new school, a half hour away from everything I've ever know. Like my close friends since childhood and a sweet and loving teenage boy that I had planned on telling something very important to tonight. "Don't you think it's a little too soon to be spitting out the "I love yous?" Caroline's voice shakes me out of my thoughts and eavesdropping while her soft tone flows into my ears as she brings me back into the reality of our situation. Unpacked boxes surround me while I look around the bare walls of my new room and exhale deeply. I miss the old house, the warmth of my bedroom. I miss everything that I once called home.

"It might be. But, I can't help how I feel about him, Care. You just wouldn't understand. What Stefan and I have is a lot more complicated than just some whirlwind romance or high school fling. Stefan's a good guy and I love him. I haven't said it to him yet. But, I will. Tonight." I comment, walking over to my closet and pulling out a backpack. I'm planning on going to him tonight, making sure and telling him how I feel about him too.

Caroline's silent for a long time. It's like she's unaware or unsure of how to go about asking me more questions regarding Stefan. "Elena, I just don't want you rushing into things. I mean, the promises that you two made to each other was cute enough. But, it's not like it meant anything. We're all just silly kids. Elena, none of this will matter when we're older." Hearing her say those words make me scoff. I can't believe she can't see it in the way that I do. Stefan's changed my life. I'm the happiest that I've been in a long time and I know that it's all because of him.

"All I'm saying is that six months of knowing someone and just four months of dating them is a bit too soon to be about 100 percent certain that you really know someone, let alone tell them that you love them. Elena, this whole thing is going to crash and burn if you go out there tonight." My best friend, the girl I've known since I was a baby and running around her house in diapers is beginning to sound just like everyone else in my life and I can't handle it anymore.

"You sound just like John and Jillian, Caroline. Maybe it's because you're just jealous. Hey, why don't you just hook up with Tyler already. He and I are over anyways and I've seen the way you've been looking at him lately. Hell, you've probably been jealous that I was dating him this whole time." I spit out at her with an angered tone. The other line goes silent. We're both unsure of how to continue or end this tense conversation that we've started. I can hear her breathing out deeply on the other line of the phone right before she states with a shaky tone. "You know what Elena. Do whatever the hell you want. Just know that when he breaks your heart that I won't be around to hear about it." She tells me as I run my hand through my hair.

"What are you saying?" I ask her, my voice breaking a little from the hurt I'm feeling.

"I'm just saying that I don't want to be the one who said I told you so when things don't work out between you and Stefan. Listen, I need to get going. Just be careful and whatever you decide to do. Please, be smart about it." She adds in, hanging out the phone and leaving my skin crawling with sheer irritation as I scan the room for a backpack. I need to get out this place and at the moment, I could care less about what anyone thinks.

* * *

" _I, Stefan Salvatore promise to always be by your side_ _and to protect you_ _. To be your friend_ _along with your boyfriend_ _and to always make you smile. I promise to_ _be your guiding light whenever things get a little hard to handle on your own. N_ _o matter what happens between us." His smiling face and his warm hands rubbing the tops of my thumbs felt so_ _tranquil_ _that early morning in Covington when we both_ _stood in front of the pastor and he did a small ceremony as we said what we wanted to each other._ _Once two near strangers, now two young lovers with an unexplainable bond._

_The falling tears slide down my cheeks as Stefan leaned over and wiped them away. He was smiling through his own watery looking green eyes as I opened my mouth and spoke. "I, Elena Gilbert promise to always listen to you and be patient. To be your calm when the storms ahead of us get too hard to handle by ourselves. I promise that you'll always mean the world to me and that no matter what happens between us that we'll always have each other to lean on." The second my words stopped flowing out of mouth, Stefan grabbed a hold of me and held me against his chest. I could feel his grip tighten as he whispered ever so softly into my ear. "I promise that you'll always be my only girl."_

The memory from the day we met at the church fades away as the rain hits harder against my windshield. Everything's so blurry and I can't focus on the road that well as I continue to drive. The wipers on the old beat up mustang aren't as good as they once had been and as the minutes pass, it gets nearly impossible to see anything in front of me. Fear begins to creep into my mind while I clutch on to the steering wheel a bit tighter.

I shouldn't have left the house tonight. I should have listened to Caroline and just stayed at home. However, my determination to go see Stefan and be with him keeps me going towards my destination. The memory from my birthday makes me smile as I try to calm myself and I continue to think about my time with him. It had been perfect and I had spent most of the day before my birthday with my family. However, the day of it was even more meaningful than I had expected when Stefan and I met up with each other. We had gone to the church together, dressed accordingly. My peach dress swayed in the wind as he grabbed a hold of my hand and took me up the stairs with a smile on his face. He was just as excited as I was to go through with our plan. And, the best part of it all was that no one objected to us going. I had told Jillian and John and since they each had met Stefan, they both seemed to be okay with the idea of him taking me out for my birthday. Although, I had managed to avoid telling them the real reason as to why we were going all the way out to Covington for the day. My eyes close as I inhale deeply and my mind becomes overwhelmed with the look in his eyes after we had left the church. His arm around me as he held me close and we walked around the city. Just two teenagers with dreams and the notion of "love could conquer all" carrying them throughout the day.

" _You looked beautiful today." He said simply, taking a hold of my hand and kissing my wrist._

_We walked hand in hand, stealing glances every so often from each other as he stopped in his tracks suddenly, looking up at a shop in front of us with a sign that read "Eric's Jewelers."_

" _We should go inside." Stefan commented, smiling at me as I shyly shook my head. "Stefan, we shouldn't. It's not like we have money to buy anything in there."_

" _We might not. But, we can still look around. Now, come on." He said, opening the door and allowing me to go inside the building. An older thin looking man with completely gray hair and a pair of dark brown glasses sat behind the counter as we walked in._

" _Welcome." He greeted with a smile, noticing that Stefan and I were holding hands, our fingers intertwined. He deeply exhaled and told us to look around. "If you have any questions or are interested in looking at something. Please, feel free to notify me." He commented, going back to looking at the diamond that was sitting in front of him on a black cloth._

" _Pick something from here." Stefan whispered against my ear, squeezing my hand as I watched him step away from me for a moment while spoke with the clerk. I could hear him asking if any of the rings were on sale and which ones he could possibly buy today. The older gentlemen and Stefan walked around the cases for a bit as I stood near the exit door, feeling hesitant and out of place. I could hear them laughing when they both suddenly glanced back at me. "Elena, come over here." Stefan urged on, noticing me relax a bit more as I walked towards the glass case near where they stood._

" _What do you think about that one?" He questioned, glancing up at me briefly and then asking the clerk to take it out. Handing it to me, Stefan watched with a smile as I couldn't hide the smile on my face either._

" _It's_ _probably too expensive_ _." I quietly replied, handing it back to the jeweler as I turned away while listening to him explain that the ring was an o_ _val_ _c_ _ut_ _diamond_ _i_ _nfinity_ _p_ _romise_ _r_ _ing_ _and that it was very popular_ _._

" _It's around $30 dollars." He smiled as I heard the movement of Stefan's hand and the sound of money being exchanged._

" _I'll take it. It's her birthday and I wanted to get her something nice._ _I just wasn't sure what I should get her until, I saw this._ _"_ _I turn_ _ed_ _back around the moment he sa_ _id_ _it and I ca_ _ught_ _him smiling at me. The clerk does as well, tucking the ring into a holder as he hands it to Stefan and his bright eyes glisten. "She's a very lucky young lady."_

_Stefan nodded, walking up behind me as I heard him thank the clerk. "Have a nice day too. And, young lady." His voice calling out to me forced me to turn back around as he added in. "He's a nice young man who seems to love you very much,_ _consider yourself a lucky girl_ _. Happy birthday."_

" _He's right, you know._ _Happy birthday, Elena." Stefan repeated, kissing my cheek as I watched him take the ring out of it's holder and slip it on to my finger._

It happens too quickly. Too suddenly. The flashing brake lights in front of my eyes, the swerving car in front of me that's clearly going the wrong way on the road. Everything happens so quickly that it almost feels like an out of body experience when the car in front of me crashes against mine. It doesn't take long to feel my car being lifted up off the road as it smashes into the guard railing. I hear the screeching of my own tires against the pavement and then it all goes silent. Although, the branches scrapping against my windows as they snap while the car moves so fast pasted them floods into the car while the windows become blown out and glass begins to shatter. The high speed and force of impact make my blood boil and within that moment, I realize that I'm no longer on the road at all.

The car that I'm trapped in is under the busy bridge and in this massive amount of forestry. The metal twisting as the car slowly begins to come to a stop makes me want to throw up while I try shielding my face from the glass flying in every direction, some even hitting and cutting up my face. My heart beat is racing, my body goes still when I finally catch my breath and listen carefully to where I've landed. However, the only thing I'm consciously aware of is that I'm near water and it's ice cold because I can feel it starting to rush into the car. My body trembles as I try to unbuckle my seat belt. Helplessly screaming and yelling into the night. After a few minutes of slamming my bruised up hands and injured fingers against the roof top of the car, there's only thing I know- the trees are too dense out here. Which means that no will find me and even if they do, it could take days.

* * *

Hours pass. I'm not really sure how many have gone by. But I know it's been too long because I'm starting to feel myself beginning to slip away. I'm fading and giving into the darkness that is all around me. I contemplate it, giving in and allowing death to take me. However as my hand slides down against the front of my shirt, I remind myself that I need to fight harder to survive and make it out of this.

Slowly trying to move my legs send a shape pain of sheer agony throughout my body. And then it happens, the car begins to tip again and just when I think it's going to go directly into the fast moving and raging waters below me. The faint sound of an ambulance rushing to the accident scene near the lower end of the bridge, where my car flew off of is heard in the distance. I wonder if they'll find me now? If the darkness and rain hasn't made the skid marks nearly impossible to see on the road or even washed them away. I wonder if they'll save me?

The feeling of pure agony is what comes over me next while my exhausted body begins to find peace. Every bone in my body relaxes, every single muscle feels warm and tingly. The gash above my left eyebrow is gushing out blood, dripping down into my mouth as I gag on my own saliva and taste the red sweet metallic liquid upon my quivering lips. Gasping for a full breath. The simple action of trying to breath, rips through my chest like a knife being shoved into my heart and I close my eyes tightly, allowing the tears to fall. "I can't die here...I can't die out here, all alone. Someone help me! Please, someone help me!" I'm screaming and pounding at the inside of car at anything I can find in which will make some noise. I know it won't matter soon enough because I'll be too far gone. But, I need for someone to hear me, for someone to save me.

More silence comes over the car that I've become trapped after a few minutes, as my shortness of breath starts to set in. Even though the rescue still isn't anywhere to happening, I'm starting to think that I'll have the same unfortunate fate as my parents and they'll fine me too late. My racing thoughts flood in as they scream at me. _"I'm_ _g_ _oing to die here tonight without saying goodbye...Without getting to see_ _to everyone that I've ever loved_ _one last time_ _..._ _Without seeing him._ _"_

Stefan. My Stefan.

Just three months ago his father had said he needed to let me go, that I wasn't good enough for him. _"No parents or immediate family? She's probably trailer trash._ _Are you sure you aren't using her?_ _"_ Were the terms he used to describe me when I had overheard Stefan talking to him on the phone as he tried to explain that it wasn't like that with me and that he genuinely cared for me. Stefan's father had told his son to stop seeing me immediately. That same day I had told Stefan that John had decided to sell the house early with a short sale and that my aunt Jenna was moving us a half hour away from Mystic Falls. Stefan sat silently in my bedroom with me, gripping on to my hands while tears trickled down of our cheeks. I can still feel his arms wrap around me, the warmth of his breath tickling upon my flesh as he whispered softly into my ear. _"_ _I'm never going to let you go no matter what they say_ _._ _I love you._ _"_

Pain drifts back across my body. I can't see the small fragments of glass inside of my wounds. But, I can feel them as I try to move my limbs. I can feel the rawness of my skin while I tug on the seat belt one last time, attempting to free myself. The water continues to hit against my feet as it starts to come into the car at a faster rate this time. My skin is cold, my face is freezing from the chilly gusts of wind. I'm losing consciousness as the minutes pass and I can't tell which is a dream and which is reality any longer as I sit and wait for a savior. My eyes begin to grow heavy and they start to close. I can't fight anymore because I'm not strong enough. Every bone feels broken in my body and the pain is unbearable. Through gritted teeth and a painful scream that escapes my lips, I silently pray that someone will see the marks on the road and hear my last pleas for help. My mind is so clouded and my hands are so raw from the cuts and bruises on them that they burn while the water continues to hit my skin and the river starts to engulf me. I must black out momentarily because when I come to again, the tears cascade down my face and just when I start to believe that my whole world is about to dim away into the stillness of death, I hear a faint and distant scream. "Someone's trapped down there! There's another car down under the bridge. We need to get to the car, hurry up!"

* * *

**-Stefan-**

" _Stefan, this is Elena's aunt. My name is Jenna. I've never met you before. However, I know that you and my niece are very close and have formed quite a unique bond over the last few months. She cares very deeply about you. I know that it's late and that I should have probably called you sooner._ _But_ _,_ _I didn't know how else to reach you to say that_ _there's been an accident and Elena was involved. I'll call back later once I found out where they've taken her."_

It's been two hours since I received that message and rushed over to the hospital which is nearly an hour away from Mystic Falls. My hands shook the whole way here and when I saw Jenna leaning against a nurse, her eyes blood shot from crying. I knew deep down that something wasn't right.

"Where is she?" I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets and glancing around the waiting room for some sort of confirmation that Elena's okay. However, the only thing I can see in Jenna's hands is a bloodied hoodie, one that is more than familiar to my own eyes because Elena had stolen it from my book bag just two weeks prior.

"They've got her strictly monitored. Stefan, the injuries that she sustained are mostly cuts and bruises and a broken arm. But," She pauses for a minute. Exhaling deeply and glancing down at the floor while she places her hand on to my shoulder and tightens her fingers against my bones.

"Is she going to be okay? Please, Jenna. Tell me that she's going to be okay..She needs to be okay because..." My voice trails off as I feel my face become heated and I close my eyes tightly. My mind feels like it's going a mile a minute and I can't calm it down as hard as I try. Instead, I look up to see Jenna's lips moving. But, all I can do is stand there, pretending to listen while my mind drifts back to just three months ago, after my father had told me to leave Elena alone. She had called me that same day, hours after I had last seen her. She wanted me to come over because she had gotten into another fight with Jillian and John after they had told her that she'd be moving in with Jenna for the rest of the school year.

" _They can't just force me to change schools and leave all my friends. It's my junior year of high school. We're not even half way through it. Stefan, they can't do that!" She shouted as I sat on her bed, making small circles against her back, trying my best to keep her calm._

_The night was quiet and the lights were low in her room as we both sat all alone in the house. "They won't do that to you. It wouldn't be fair." I commented, trying to reassure her fears as she leaned back into me, holding up her hand and smiling at the promise ring I had given her for her birthday._

" _No matter wherever life takes us. I'm going to be by your side. Remember that." I replied, slowly lifting up the fabric to her crimson colored t-shirt. Elena closed her eyes, turning to face me as her warm and soft skin touched my face with both hands._

" _I'm not losing you. No matter what happens now. I'm not losing you." She vowed, leaning in and kissing my lips as I felt her hands slip into my hair and she pushed me back against her mattress._

" _We're all alone and no one knows that you're even here with me." She smiled, gliding her finger underneath my chin._

" _Elena.." My voice trailed off, feeling her hands slide underneath my t-shirt as she leaned down against my ear. "You're the first person in my life that has been a constant for the last few months and I'm falling in love with you too. I love you, Stefan. I love you and I don't want to let you go. Not now and not ever." Her warm lips moved down to my jawline as my own hands gripped on to her hips and I could feel her hands gliding up and down my delicate skin._

" _But, if we never get to see each other again. I want to remember you, not only by this ring on my hand. But, by the way you made me feel." She whispered softly, running her thin olive colored fingers through my darkened brown hair as our eyes met._

" _Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked her with hesitation in my voice, noticing the tears in her eyes while she straddled my lap and moved my hands to the hem of her shirt. She watched with a tearful gaze as I pulled it over her head. "I'm sure. Stefan, I don't want this to just be some quick fling. So, take your time with me." She said, capturing her lips against my own. I could feel her body relax into me instantly. Rolling us over on the bed so that I was hovering above her, Elena kissed me feverishly this time. My eyes locked on to hers, before her hands took hold of my belt buckle and we began to shed our clothing._

" _I promise that I'll never let you go." I promised her, holding her close against me and relishing in her warmth as Elena's warm touch made my skin crawl with want and desire while our heightened emotions took over us both and we gave in to our true feelings for one another._

"Stefan, I know you got my message. But, there's one last thing that I wanted to tell you because I thought you should be aware of it." Jenna's words are hushed and quiet as they break me out of my trance and the memory of the first time that Elena and I slept with each other. I inhale heavily and my eyes lock on to her aunt.

"I already know." My voice cracks, my eyes flood with tears when I feel her arms wrap around me as she whispers into my ear with a warning tone. "I want you to know that if anything happens to Elena that this will be on you. And, I will make sure that you never see her again."

She backs away from me briskly, wiping away her tears as I very quietly admit to her the one thing I've known for three months now. "I'm sorry, alright. I am. But, I can't leave her now, Jenna." I'm pleading with her to understand as she looks down at the floor and then back up to me. "And, why shouldn't you just disappear?" She questions as I crack my knuckles and stare at her with a pained expression in my eyes.

"I can't leave her. It's my promise to her because she needs me. Jenna you need to understand that," I pause while exhaling heavily and then I finally stammer out the truth. "Elena was out on the road and nearly died because of me tonight." Jenna watches me with cautious eyes as I pull out the picture from my jacket. Her shaking hands clutch on to it as she stares at the small gray looking figure on the image when I finally confess. "She was planning on seeing me so that she could give me another one of these. She told me a few weeks ago and I know that she hasn't told anyone else. We were planning on telling her family together." She cuts me off with a wave of her hand. "Telling her family what?" She asks as I look away and then secure my eyes on to her when I confess what she's already figured out on her own. "Elena's pregnant and the ultrasound is of our baby."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Like I've been saying all along. I know Stefan and Elena's relationship seemed to happen really fast. But, now I plan on slowing it down a lot from here on out. Hope you all enjoyed this update. :)**

**Up next: Damon uncovers more about Alaric, Elena has to face her new reality and someone very close to Stefan makes an unexpected visit. Any guesses as to who it might be?**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**-More To Come!-**

 


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**Thank you all so much for reading this story. I'm hoping that I can keep you all interested still as it goes on because a lot of things are about to happen with everyone involved.  
**

**Also, I have added into two new characters that I said I wouldn't be adding into this story at all. However, I changed my mind. ;) So, hope you all enjoy their additions to this story.**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Eight **

**-Damon-**

He's not home yet and I'm starting to get worried, unsure if I should call him or not as I clutch on to the cell phone in my hands and place my hands flatly against the desk in my office.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Bon. I'm trying everything to make sure that Stefan doesn't screw up and it keeps backfiring." I comment, hearing her slowly make her way into the room as I feel my wife place her hand on to my shoulder.

"Sweetie, you're too hard on him. He's just a kid, Damon. Who lost his mother and he's rebelling against your dad for sending him here. This girl in Stefan's life has been a pretty good influence on him." She concludes as I turn my face towards her. She's right.

"You know, when Stefan was a baby. My dad told me that I was in charge of protecting him and that whatever my brother screwed up that it would be on me." I add in, inhaling sharply as I think about the day my little brother was born and how protective I've been of him just because I care about him more than any of our other siblings, even my step brother and sister.

"Damon, Stefan's 18 years old now. He's a mature young man who knows things that I'm pretty sure you didn't know at that age." Bonnie points out as I laugh.

"Oh, I knew a lot more than what you think." I comment, turning towards her and leaning my back against the desk as she steps in front of me. "Like what?" She questions, there's a taunting in her eyes as I take my hand, moving a few pieces of her dark brown hair off of her dark skinned shoulder, leaving a kiss against it. "Like, how to seduce any girl I wanted."

"Seduce, any girl. If I recall, you had a hard time seducing me?" She asks, closing her eyes and standing just inches apart me as I extend out my arms and pull her closer towards me. Our bodies are modeled together, no space between us at all when she glances up at me and licks her lips. "I taught you how to love, Damon. In college, don't you remember." She says, pushing away from me with her hand that's placed flatly against my chest as she slowly lifts her shirt above her head and drops it to her side. "Seduction was never easy watching you suffer through. But, I loved watching you lusting after me." She winks, disappearing out of my office in the apartment and into our bedroom.

"Bon! Wait, what the hell did this conversation just turn into?" I shout out after her as she laughs behind the door and my hand slips away when I realize that the door knob's locked. "I think I just propositioned you for sex, darling." She states. I can't see her face or her reaction and it's driving me absolutely crazy as I frantically tug on the door knob and listen while she plays around with it.

"Let me into the room, honey. Come on." I'm nearly begging her as my hands shake and just as I back away, running my hands through my hair in frustration. God, I've never wanted my wife like I want her now, the door begins to open.

"You know, ever since Stefan moved in with us. We never really had any alone time or a honeymoon. Actually, we never have had either of those. It's kind of nice your kid brother isn't around right now." I can hear her say as the bedroom door opens wider and she extends out her hand, grinning widely.

"You've been away from home for how many weeks?" She asks, her eyes narrowing on to the blue tie around my neck. Suddenly, the room is boiling hot and I just want to tear the damn tie off just by the way her green eyes are looking at me. With so much passion, with so much love and lust that makes my heart beat thump against my chest so hard which becomes a bit worrisome after a while.

"Too many." I gulp down my words, loosening my tie as I feel her hand yank me into the bedroom and the door slams behind us as she pushes me up against the wall. I nearly lose all train of thought when I see Bonnie standing in a black and pink baby doll top with a pair of thin and nearly see through underwear. "Bonnie, you're barely wearing any clothes."

She pushes back her hair to one side of her shoulder, licking her lips and inhaling sharply as I feel her fingertips dance across my heated and damp skin. She's got me right where she wants me, nearly drooling for her, lusting after her like a mad man.

"I know. That's the point." She teases, taking my hands away from my sides as she leans into me on her tippy toes and whispers in a seductive tone against my ear. "Let's just make this here the honeymoon that you and I never had. So, do your dirty work, Agent Salvatore." My mind goes blank, my mouth goes dry and all I can do is make a small whimpering noise as Bonnie's hand runs up and down my chest and she leans into me, pressing her lips roughly against my own as she breaks away and says with a smile on her face. "Welcome home, baby."

* * *

I wake up with Bonnie beside me, her hand laying across my bare chest as I turn to hear my cell phone go off. Who calls someone this late in the night? I think to myself as I glance over at the clock and read it. "11:15pm. Damn it!" I grumble out loud, picking the phone up and answering it in the other room while pulling the sheets behind me to cover up my naked body, leaving Bonnie beautifully exposed to the warmth of our bedroom.

"Agent Salvatore." I cough out, hearing him laugh a little as he sighs out a breath.

"Damon, sorry to interrupt your sleeping pattern." Elijah says with a small hint of being clearly apologetic.

"Don't worry about it, sir. What's going on?" I ask him, hearing the movement of a pen as a car door shuts and then Elijah clears his throat to speak. "We've got movement on Alaric Saltzman, Damon. We need you here in Texas. I need you here in Texas as soon as you can get here."

My eyes tightly shut as I think about what I had promised my wife. A few weeks of finally being in one place and not traveling, that was the whole point of getting this job in Virginia. However, when your boss tells you that he needs you somewhere. It's not like I have a choice in the matter.

When?" I ask him, swallowing down my nervousness. I've been tracking Alaric for the past six months without any movement or any clear indication of his next move and now I'm baffled by this sudden turn of events and why Elijah can't wait to send someone else.

"I'll explain everything when you get here. You've got 24 hours to meet me in San Antonio. I'll have someone you're familiar with pick you up from the airport." He explains as I clench my teeth together and inhale deeply.

"Who's the guy that's going to be picking me up?" I ask him with an anxious tone as I hear Elijah laugh when he adds in. "It's not a man who will be picking you up. It's a woman who is one of our double agents. We use her for our undercover operations and shes has all the information you'll need to know about Alaric. I think the two of you were in the academy together." He recalls as I feel my body tense up when he finally utters out her name as my mind creates the picture of her thin frame, brown hair and darkened brown eyes in my head. "It's Katrina Petrova. Elijah? Isn't it? It's my old training partner from Quantico."

"Yes, Damon. I'm going to be sending in Katrina with you because you two are the best I've got at the moment. Although, when you see her in a few hours. Just know this, she isn't very happy with how you two left things since you last saw each other and no one calls her Katrina anymore. She goes by Katherine now. Katherine Pierce to be exact." He adds on as I close my eyes tightly and remind myself to not mention that my ex training partner will be the one picking me up from the airport to my new wife. Because if I do that, all hell with break loose.

* * *

**-Jenna-**

"You were supposed to be the one protecting her!" John screams at me in the middle of the waiting room. He's clearly angry with me, furious with Elena and even more pissed off at the young boy named Stefan that seems to care about her.

"I know and I'm sorry." I reply back, attempting to calm him down as John lifts his hands up into the air and he glances back down at the floor. "Take her to Texas with you, Jenna. Take her and do it as soon as you can. Don't even wait for the school year to be over. Once she's discharged, you should take her." He says with a cold and icy tone.

I roll my eyes. He's telling me things that I already know, things that I've been planning for months now. "Well, I would do that. But, our niece seems to have a little problem."

John's eyebrows lift, he licks his lips and closes his eyes tightly. "That boy she's been seeing here, isn't it? He's the current problem, isn't he?" John starts to question.

I nod my head. "He refuses to leave her side, John. He says they made each other a promise and to be completely honest, I don't want to separate them after what Elena's about to be going through. Losing a child in the early months of pregnancy is hard on anyone. Let alone a young girl who has already lost so much. This could destroy her." I tell him as his gaze slowly lifts and he tilts his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" I cringe at the thought of telling him the things I clearly left out on the phone when John called me after he heard about Elena's car accident on the news. He watches me cautiously as I swallow down the lump forming in my throat when I state the truth. "She was pregnant before the accident happened, John. The young man named Stefan that Elena has been seeing for the last few months is the baby's father and unfortunately, she was going to see him before she crashed the car and went over the bridge. Elena and Stefan were planning on telling us about their baby."

I swear that his face goes pale, anger washes over his features as he scoffs at me and briskly gets up from his seat. I can feel John push passed me as he angrily growls out. "Where the hell is he? I think it's time I told this young man where I think he belongs!" My body tenses as I feel my eyes burning with tears while running after him. I feel helpless. I shouldn't have answered the phone when he called about Elena. Although, I know deep down that he cares about her as much as I do- maybe even more.

"John, don't do this to her now. Please, don't break her heart even more than it's already been broken. She won't be able to handle losing him too, John. Elena won't know how to cope with it!" I yell out after him, my voice becoming barely above a whisper while I watch him march down the hallway frantically, searching for Elena's hospital room.

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Stefan." My voice is weak and raw as I slowly lift my hand up and groan out in pain. My body feels like a lead weight, my head is heavy and my eyes are blurry from the drugs they've pumped into me for the pain. I can't even think straight with my fuzzy mind. However, I can tell that he's here with me, I can feel his presence in the room.

"I'm here." He says in a low voice as my eyes readjust to the low lit room. I'm warm and sleepy all at the same time as Stefan reaches over and caresses my cheek as he whispers out softly. "Elena, I need to tell you something..." His voice trails off as our eyes meet and I know that he can see the pain in my dark brown gaze once my hands land on to my stomach and it hits me.

_The accident, the baby...Oh no...Oh god...I've lost it...I've lost the baby..._

"Stefan, please tell me that the baby's okay. Please, lie to me." I sob, hearing him lift up out of his chair as he hovers over me, kissing my cheek and crying into the fabric of my light blue hospital gown that's stained in blood when he says in a broken and anguished tone. "Elena, I wish I could, lie to you. But, I can't baby girl. I love you too much to not tell you the truth." He says, his eyes lifting up to meet my watery glance as his thumb wipes away my tears. Stefan grabs a hold of my hand, exhaling heavily as he opens his mouth and breaks my heart with his words. "Our baby didn't make it sweetheart. I am so sorry, Elena. I am so sorry." He admits through his tears as he leans his forehead against mine and I grip on to him, crying into the curve of his neck.

Moments of silence pass between us before our moment of grief is cut short. The instant my hospital room door swings open without warning and John comes barreling inside of it. I know that I'm about to lose him too. I watch helplessly as John yanks Stefan up to his feet and spins him around until he hits the wall near the door. Jenna and I have tears streaming down our faces as John hisses out at Stefan. "You did this! You're the reason she's in all of this pain, young man and I swear to god that if I ever see you near my niece again. I will make you regret the day you meet her. Now, say goodbye to Elena because this will be the last time you two see each other for a while. She's going to be leaving for Texas as soon as she heals up. And, she'll finally be far away from all these bad influences in her life. Including you. You know, getting a young girl pregnant was the easy part, I'm sure. Not counting on the fall out or consequences of your actions must be a tough pill to swallow, Stefan. I hope you take one last good look at her because I want you to remember that she's in this whole mess because of you!"

"Stefan, no! Please, no! Uncle John. Please, don't do this! Please, I'm begging you." The tears won't stop falling upon my cheeks as I start watching Jenna walk over towards me. She sits on my bed and holds me in her embrace tightly so that I can't fight her. I'm too weak to fight her anyways as John drags Stefan out of my room and the only imagine in my mind that I'm left with is, his haunting green eyes filled with tears and sorrow as he mouths "I'm sorry for everything. I love you." in my direction.

"Stefan, please, come back. No...Jenna, you can't do this. You can't take the only person who cares about me away. Please don't-." My voice cracks, as continues to hold me against her, attempting to calm me down while I cry into her shirt and repetitively tell her that I need Stefan.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. Honey, this is for the best. You and I both know that." She tells me, almost as if I'm supposed to believe anything she says anymore. Locking her eyes on to me, Jenna exhales deeply as she watches with a deep sadness on her face while I break down in her arms. Through a staggered breath and a thick tone I mumble out. "You can't do this to me. Please, Jenna. Bring him back to me. Please, I've got nothing left to live for. My baby's dead, our baby is dead and now, I've got nothing."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"I screwed up and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be part of all of this and I didn't mean to get this involved with this girl. But, I love her, brother. I love her and I don't know what else to do. Elena's aunt and uncle want to take her away from Virginia for good. Please, help me, Damon. I need your advice because I can't lose her. I can't let her slip through my fingers just like everyone else in my life has. I can't watch them take her away from me." The voice mail to my brother is pleading with fear as I lean my head against the steering wheel in my car while the tears in which I didn't want Elena to see begin to fall. Just thinking about her as she cried in my arms after finding out about the baby and hearing her and aunt and uncles harsh words makes my stomach sick with the unknown. I can't think about her leaving, I don't want to think about her leaving because all I can picture in my mind is saying goodbye and it breaks me.

A sudden knock on my window makes me jump in my seat as I wipe my moistened eyes and glance up into the darkness of the parking lot. From the way the person's standing near my car, it's too familiar to me. He knocks on the cold feeling window with his knuckle while taking a step back as I open my car door with tears in my eyes. "Can I help you?" I ask him as he removes the hoodie from his head and crosses his arms with a frown appearing across his face. The light catches his reflection when he steps into it and I get a picture of who it is. Personally, his tall and athletic built frame gave him away nearly instantly.

My step brother and our step mother Annie's golden child, Matt. He's 22 years old and in his last year of college at the University of Richmond. However, we haven't spoken in months and here I was thinking that Matt Donovan, our family's future hot shot criminal defense lawyer and current law student was still in California, living with our parents.

Matt runs his hand through his light blonde hair, blue eyes shining when he says calmly. "Yeah, I'd like to know what the hell you're doing in this car and why you aren't in that hospital room with a girl you clearly care about, little brother. I heard what her family said about them wanting you out of her life, Stefan. And, I don't think you should listen to their nonsense. Yeah, they want to protect her. But, so do you. This isn't your fault. None of this is and I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner or that I haven't been in touch lately. Dad told me not to contact you. He said sending you here was to focus on yourself." He shrugs his shoulders back, popping his neck to the side because both of us are completely unaware as to what my fathers problem is with me at the moment.

"Our old man heard the news from Damon. About the girl's accident. He's pretty pissed off. But, he'll get over it. You know our brother, he's pissed off too. But, he's the one who told me to come out here since he got called to work. He's hard on you, Stefan. But, he does care a great deal about you." Matt comments with a smile as I look at him with a completely dumbfounded gaze. "What are you even doing here, Matt?"

"I told you. You needed me and I came. It's that simple, Stefan. Besides, what kind of step brother would I be if I didn't come visit you every once in a while. I know that we've all had our differences because of my mother. But, I want to help you out while I'm here for a while." He says, pulling me out of the car into a bear hug as I feel my tired body relax into him. Matt, my other older brother who I need more than ever at the moment just gave me a little bit of the hope I need to fight for Elena.

* * *

**A/N: Matt is Stefan and Damon's step brother through marriage...wait, what!? And, Katherine is Damon's old training partner from the academy, let's just say that those two have a history together that will not be ignored. ;)** **Any guesses as to who's coming into the story to help our characters out and who is going to stir up some more trouble for them?**

**Reviews are appreciated!**

**-More goodness to come!-**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

 


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**A/N: Hey all! Just wanted to do a little update for you all! Big things are about to be revealed and things are about to really change in this story. ;)  
**

**Follow me on Twitter at: BePassionate_24**

**Enjoy & Thanks for reading! **

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Nine **

**-Damon-**

"24 hours later, a plane change and now I'm stuck with you." I spit out at her, watching while she lowers her sunglasses at me and smirks deviously.

"I'd say that I'm happy to see you too. But, you tried to kill me with your extreme training tactics on our last assignment together and to be honest, I still hold grudges." Katherine states, placing her sunglasses up above the tip of her nose as she tilts her light brown sunhat to the side and snaps her fingers.

"Why'd you want us to meet at a bar first, Katherine? I haven't seen you in over two years and now, we're together again." I point out bluntly as she turns towards me on the swivel chair she's sitting on and stares down at my left hand. "Did you ever tell her about me, Damon? About us. The new wife, did you tell her that I'm your ex- girlfriend?" She asks, spinning a piece of her curly brown hair in between her fingers as she exhales deeply.

"How was I supposed to do that?" I ask her, lifting my hand up and waving the bartender over as we both watch him walk up to us, a smile widely forming across his lips. "What can I get for you two?"

"I'll have a Scotch neat and she'll have a," I pause for a minute, glancing over at her and quickly being able to remember the little details about her, like her favorite drink. "She'll have a dry martini with a hint of mint in it."

Katherine reaches out towards me, her fingers dancing across my skin as she sighs deeply before talking. "And, here I was thinking you'd forgotten everything you once knew about me."

I laugh a little, thinking about the first time I had met Katherine, way back in high school. We had drifted apart during our last few years and tried to make things work when I went off to college. But, the news hit her hard when I came home for the summer one day and the word spread that I had moved on without even telling her that we were officially over. Bonnie never really knew about Katherine, I didn't want her to know. So, Katherine and I had agreed that we'd keep our relationship history a secret and go our separate ways. Everything was great and going fine. Katherine had moved on, married a nice guy named Kol from a wealthy family that I now know far too well and she moved to Arizona to live with him. Even though they divorced just last year when Kol started hiding things while Katherine was just starting her career as an FBI agent in Quanitco. Kol and Katherine remained close friends. Sadly, just when Katherine had thought she'd get her life in order after her divorce. Things began to unravel for them both. It was early last year when the very people who trained her, came knocking on their door. Dragged Kol out of bed and accused him of killing a young girl. Her ex-husband, the guy she loved and had married to mend her broken heart over losing me was now viewed as a murderer. However, we both know that he's innocent.

"I could never forget about you." She hears me inhale sharply, slipping off her tarnished wedding ring as she runs her hand over her curly hair. "He didn't do what they're saying he did, Damon. They need someone to pin this on after so many years just to close the case and I know him. Kol isn't a killer, he's not like that. You need to believe me. For Christ sakes, his brother is the deputy director and his whole family is full of cops and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents! Except for the younger sister, Rebekah. She's still in high school." Katherine confides in me as she leans over and places her hand on to my arm. "Damon, I sought you out because I trust you. I need someone on my side when my ex husband, Kol goes to trial and I know you can help me. I also need your help with this current case. I need us to arrest the guy who really did it. The one I know in my heart who pulled this off and pinned it on Kol."

I smile at her, seeing this truthful glance appear into her eyes as I exhale before speaking. "We're not here to talk about the past, Katherine. We both got picked by Elijah, for a reason. Even though him picking you is a conflict of interest" I point out, watching her bite her bottom lip. "Yeah, my ex brother in law chose you and I because we're the best together. We always have been. Even though this case is personal for me." She tells me with a broken tone as I nod at her, agreeing quietly.

I clear my throat, looking around the bar and noticing that it's barely empty for a bunch of day drinkers like ourselves, you'd think that there would be more people around the San Antonio hot spot. However, there aren't. Just a few older men, the bartender, Katherine and myself. "Tell me all you know about our target." I comment, trying to change the subject and get to why we're really here.

"He's a serial killer, at least that's what I think. All the women who have gone missing disappeared around the same time and in the same way, Damon. He's been on our watch for a few months. Everyone was surprised when he got married to Jenna Sommers. Poor naive girl married him without knowing his true past or identity." Katherine states, placing the small black straw in her mouth from her martini as she moves it around between her lips and sharply inhales.

"How do we know he's a serial killer, Katherine? That's just speculation." I comment, watching as she turns around, taking out a yellow folder from the medium sized purse beside her. "You want proof. Here it is," She pauses, flicking the folder open with her wrist as she shakes her head with a saddened look in her dark brown eyes. "She was 20 years old. Her name was Tatia Petrova and he killed her. I know without a doubt in my mind that it was him and not Kol. My ex husband was with me that whole night, we were celebrating his promotion at work."

My eyes widen as I look over at the paperwork, my heart sinking inside of my chest as I look at the young brunette's missing persons poster. I remember when they were looking for her in Houston, Texas. Our team had been combing woods and lakes, rivers and anything else they could find in search of her as they worked closely with the local police. Eventually finding her naked body, stripped of almost everything she had on her except for what was found just a feet away from it, a heavy boot print that none of us have been able to identify and link to Alaric.

"We can't arrest him just based off of one case, Katherine. We need to link him to it and not just this one, we need to link him to more. You and I both know that." I try to shake it off, a sickness coming over me as I remember watching the news that morning, Tatia's parents on the big screen in my living room as they pleaded for whoever killed their daughter to come forward and turn himself in.

"I don't care." Katherine suddenly says angrily, slamming her fist against the table as her tearful gaze falls upon me and she stammers out. "I won't stop until he's in federal prison, Damon. He killed her. He killed my cousin and it's time someone puts a stop to him before he strikes again and harms another girl."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"You force me out of her life and now you call me over to the airport to say our goodbyes. How is this even fair?" I state icily. I didn't want to come, not after seeing the heart ache in her eyes and having John threaten me at the hospital. However, I couldn't have her leave without her knowing that I loved her no matter what.

"I'm giving you a chance to say goodbye, Stefan. Please, I'm sorry for doing this to both of you. But, you're both young and maybe one day you'll be able to see her again or you'll both gradually move on from this." Jenna says, stepping away from in front of Elena as she runs into my arms, tears streaming down her face once she rubs her cheeks against my own and she whispers into my ear. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. Stefan, please forgive me. I never meant to hurt the baby. I just, I wanted to see you so badly. I needed to see you and I wasn't thinking straight..." Her voice cracks as she buries her face into the curve of my neck and my arms pulls her against me. I hold her close, not wanting to ever forget the feeling of her broken and tired body falling into mine, as if I'm her savior from the world falling apart all around her.

"Sh...It's okay. I know, I know that you had too." I tell her, stroking her hair against the back of her neck with my hand as she relaxes her body into me and pushes back, wiping away her mascara tear stained cheeks as she exhales deeply and I feel her hands shaking while my palms clasp against hers.

"It's almost time to go." Jenna urges on as she walks away from us and I notice her staring down at her drivers license and the airplane ticket in her hands. She pauses for a minute, staring back at Elena and I who are just inches away from the TSA check point, holding each other for dear life because honestly, neither of us wants to let go.

"Promise me that you won't forget." Elena whispers into my ear, wrapping her arms tightly around me as Jenna urges for them to get going.

"I won't. I promise. I love you, Elena Gilbert. I will always love you." I tell her, leaning back and cupping her face into the palm of my hands as I leave one last sweet kiss upon her soft lips. The moment I back away, my eyes don't search hers because I don't want to see the heart break in them just as I turn away to leave.

"I love you too, Stefan Salvatore. I promise that I always will." I can hear her whisper just as our hands lose the warm contact between each other and she slips away from between my fingers.

* * *

**-Elena-**

" _I wish I could have stayed longer and that I had been strong enough to not let go of you. I'm sorry, Stefan. Please remember that no matter what happens. I will never stop loving you and I will never forget you. Please, don't forget me either."_ I text him as my hands shake and I stare out the window of the airplane, hearing overhead when the pilot tells us to turn off all of our electronics.

"Elena, you know that I didn't have a choice. Sweetie, taking you out of Virginia is for the best. Trust me, you'll be happy here." Jenna tries to reassure me as she grabs a hold of my hand, hoping that my eyes meet hers. But, I've been avoiding her glances ever since she told me that we needed to go and as I watched Stefan walk out of my life, forcefully.

"How can you live with yourself, taking me away from everything that I've ever known, just weeks after he and I lost the baby. I should be with him right now, not with you." I spit out at her as she releases my hand and I hear her exhale deeply. Jenna bites down hard on her lower lip, probably drawing blood as she closes her eyes before turning her head and looking at me. "You'll like it in Texas. The schools are nice and knowing how popular you were back in Virginia. I'm pretty sure that you'll make friends quickly too." She adds in sweetly, lifting up her fingers and caressing my cheek in almost a motherly way. I can tell that she cares about me. However, something deep down in the core of my belly makes me want to vomit at the thought of living with Jenna again.

"Wake me up when we get there." I mutter out, feeling the pressure in the cabin build as the plane lifts off the ground and I begin to drift off into the thoughts of what my new life will be like. Maybe she's right, I didn't have a choice in leaving Virginia. Although, that doesn't mean that I can't make the best of this situation and that even though she and uncle John are forbidding me to speak or be with Stefan. It doesn't mean that I can't still talk with him without their knowledge. It's like that saying, what they don't know, won't kill them.

* * *

The closer we get to the gate and walk off the plane. I can feel my heart racing as we briskly walk through the airport and just as I glance up around the terminal out in the distance. I catch a glimpse of a tall and dark haired older looking man. He's holding a bundle of red roses in one hand, his other is shoved into the pocket of his dark blue sweat shirt and a smile forming across his lips makes her heart melt as Jenna looks back at me. I can see the excitement in her eyes as I stand near our bags and I watch her run towards him. He drops the flowers on to the ground, near his dark brown boots and lifts her into his arms as she latches on to him. I can hear Jenna whispering about how much she's missed him, how much she loves him and how handsome he looks.

As I step closer behind them, I notice that he's a bit younger than I had first thought while I make my way towards them, standing nervously behind her with my hands clasped together and a look of slight anxiety on my face.

He lowers her body down to the ground as Jenna's feet steady themselves and she turns around, her honey colored hair whipping back behind her with a huge grin on her face and an adoring gaze in her eyes. "Elena, sweetie. I'd like you to meet someone very important to me."

I can feel my body tense up as I lift my gaze up and my eyes meet his darkened facial expression. His eyes lowers= on my hands as he extends out his and I do the same. My pulse can be felt against my wrist as he shakes my hand and my breath hitches inside of my throat as he smiles politely. "It's very nice to meet you, Elena. Jenna's told me a lot about you. I'm Alaric. Jenna's husband." He states, licking his lips as I pull my hand away. Maybe its in the way he says it or the way he's looking at me. To be completely honest, I'm not really sure. But, there's something off putting about Alaric that makes me want to turn back around and run.

I swallow my fears though, shaking it off. "It's nice to meet you too." I quietly reply, hoping that he can't sense the sound of fear in my tone while I run my fingers through my hair and wrap my arm around my stomach, steadying my suddenly unbalanced feeling body. There is something about Jenna's husband that isn't sitting well with me and I can't place it, I can't figure out what it is. That's until I turn away from them both and close my eyes, remembering exactly what it is...

" _Turn it up." John had said, hovering over his coffee mug as the news rambled on about some missing college student. It was too early in the morning for the devastation of watching this girl's family pleading for her safe return. Yet, we were still all so glued to the latest developments around them, feeling as if we were part of their lives._

" _I couldn't imagine what the_ _girl's parents are going through. How heart_ _breaking that her face is plastered all over every news channel because of such a tragic event. I hope they catch the monster who did this._ _"_ _Jillian commented, walking into the living room and sitting next to me as I looked over my class work before school, not really paying much attention to what was going on._

" _Yeah, it is sad." I quietly stated, glancing up briefly just when I heard the local sheriff's department and the director of the FBI tell the audience that had crowded around for the press conference about who they were looking for. "We're asking the public's help in finding this man that was seen leaving a convenient store with the young girl a few hours before her disappearance. According to an eye witness account, Tatia was having car trouble and he helped her out. The photo that was captured on the surveillance camera is fairly blurry. However, we're certain that he's out there somewhere and that we can find him." A man in a white crisp shirt told the news reporters as the flashing camera lights made their eyes squint and he cleared his throat as another reporter_ _shouted at them. "Do we know his name? Is he a suspect in the young girls disappearance?"_

_The dark haired FBI agent who stood quietly behind the local Texas officers moved to the side as they switched places and he looked out in to the crowd, directly at the camera while he spoke. "Good evening, everyone. My name is Elijah Mikaelson and I'm the current overseeing deputy director for the FBI unit in Washington, D.C. We've been working on Tatia's case_ _very closely with the local authorities here all throughout the great state of Texas. Everyone is out there looking for her, wanting to bring her home._ _"_ _He said, inhaling deeply as his hands shook when he added in. "I can't tell you if our only lead is a prime_ _suspect so far_ _in Tatia Petrova's disappearance. Because, that's still under investigation. However, I can tell all of you_ _that all we want is to find him and bring him in for questioning at the moment."_

" _Mr. Mikaelson! What's his name? Do we know is name?" Another reporter shouted out as my head snapped up from my homework just at_ _the same time that he stated coldly. "We believe that he's a local Texan and that he resides somewhere within our state. Currently based off of all the evidence and having this blurry image out in the public eye. We've been tipped off to believe that his name is Ric. Ric Saltzman and that he lives in Austin, Texas or within the surrounding areas._ _"_

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**A/N: Thoughts? I know it might seem confusing now. But, there will be flashbacks explaining things in the next chapter. ;)**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**A/N: I just wanted to thank you all so much for the reviews and for reading this story. I can't believe it already has 100 reviews and we haven't even touched on the good parts of it yet, because there will be lots of those within the craziness of this story. With that being said, this story is very dark and different from my others so please reading the warning.**

**WARNING: From now on (Starting with this chapter and the future ones) this story will have some drug use references, mild sexual content, possibly bit of violence too and it will be very dark in content at times regarding certain topics. That's why it is M rated anyways. I just hope that this won't deter most of you from reading because I will have happy moments in it too that will probably make you all smile and I promise that this story is worth it. It won't be full of angst or drama all the time. We all need some fluffy and happy in it too. ;)  
**

**Anyways, for those of you who are sticking around for the journey of this story. Thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Ten **

**-Alaric-**

_There's something about a beautiful young college student all wrapped up into the way you speak, the way you joke around with them that makes this seem a little less wrong. I asked her to join me in my office after hours at the University of Houston and somehow we got to talking about our personal lives. I'm engaged, to a great and smart young girl named Jenna. But, there's something about Tatia Petrova that brings out the goofy side of me in which Jenna has never really been able to do and over the last few months. My feelings have grown into something more that I can't explain for this young and vivacious student._

" _Professor Saltzman. I probably shouldn't be in here with you..." Tatia's voice trails off as she brushes a strand of her hair back behind her ear, looking down at the clock on my desk._

" _It's fine. I don't have anything else to do or anyone else to see. I'm all yours." She hears me say, lifting up herself from her chair and swinging her book bag over her shoulder. "You're a married man, Mr. Saltzman and whatever you think you'd like to start with me. I don't think it would be right or appropriate. You're my history professor." She states firmly, hearing me get up as I run towards the door that she's trying to exit from, standing in front of her._

" _Tatia, I'm a soon to be married man. But, I'm sorry. Alright, I'm sorry that I came on to you like that. It's inappropriate and," I paused, licking my lips and glancing down at the first three buttons that are just slightly opened from her blouse. "You're just so beautiful." I whispered against her ear, leaning down against her neck and leaving a quick kiss upon her warm and soft flesh. The pressure of her pushing me away as her hand lays flat against my chest causes me to look up at her. She's taken a step back, fear in her dark brown eyes._

" _I need to go and I'd appreciate it if you moved out of my way." Tatia stated, pushing past me and nearly racing out of the room before I could stop her. The slamming door behind her was all that could be heard as I watched her leave and then I leaned my back against it, running my fingers through my hair._

" _Damn it!" I uttered out with frustration, closing my eyes and exhaling deeply just as my cell phone rang and I briskly pushed away from the door to get to it._

" _Hello?" I answered quickly._

" _Hi babe! You sound out of breath. Listen, I was thinking that we could make dinner reservations at that one place you like maybe around 8ish tonight or so. What do you say?" Jenna's voice echoed out through the phone as I exhaled deeply, grinding my teeth back while looking around the room and noticing a light pink scarf laying across the back of the chair. Tatia must have forgotten it when she ran out of my office so quickly. However, it gives me another chance to see her again, which I'm silently praying for._

_Jenna's voice shakes me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, let's do it. Sounds good, I'll see you later." I commented, hearing Jenna pause for a moment. "Alaric, are you alright?"_

_I cough out a breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just swamped with making lesson plans and having a meeting with a few different students today. Listen, I'll meet you there in an hour. I love you, Jenna."_

_I can tell that she's smiling over the phone when she stays softly. "Okay. Great, I love you too."_

The movement of coffee mugs and opening of the refrigerator door slamming shut downstairs wakes me up just a little after midnight and once I make my way downstairs, I can only see the back of her brown haired head. She's singing to herself, wearing a pair of white and green stripped pajama shorts as she sways back and forth to the music on her Ipod. Turning around and not obviously noticing me standing behind her and watching, makes Elena startled as she jumps back against the now closed refrigerator door as she spins towards me. Her hands laying flat against her chest when she pulls out her ear buds and smiles nervously. "Alaric! I didn't see you or hear your footsteps at all. I'm sorry for waking you up."

I lock my eyes on to her from afar, smiling wickedly. "Oh, it's alright. I was just enjoying the show." I chuckle out, watching her cheeks turn a pinkish color from embarrassment as I stand there and think about how much she reminds me of Tatia and how much I'd like the opportunity of getting to know her as much as I can.

* * *

**-Elena-**

I can't sleep in unfamiliar sheets and a cold bed. Every time I turn around and start to drift off, I'm awaken by memories of him, of everything back home. Jenna's tried to get me to talk. But, I can't tell her how much my heart breaks every night I close my eyes and think of Stefan.

I miss him.

Missing him brought me downstairs actually, hoping to preoccupy my mind with a distraction such as eating might help and that's when I ran into Alaric. He's got this smirk on his face that makes my stomach twist in knots, glancing at me up and down as I push away from the cold stainless steel refrigerator and attempt to excuse myself from being around him.

"Ha, well. I'm sorry. I was just heading back upstairs. Have a good night." I tell him hastily, moving quickly from the counter that he's leaning against. Although, I watch as he turns back around towards me with a sinister grin as he licks his bottom lip. "Elena, I'm really glad you came out here. You know, you being here is making Jenna the happiest that I've seen her in a long time and to be honest, it makes me happy too." He states, nodding in my direction as I clutch on to the ice water in my hand and the bag of Doritos against my chest. "Yeah, I'm glad I'm here too. Sorry about waking you up." I reply back once more, quickly making my way upstairs until I'm in my bedroom. Once the door closes, I lock it and lean my back against it, trying to catch my heaving breath.

"You need to play it cool, Elena. You need to play it cool." I whisper out in between uneven breathes as I close my eyes and shake away the devious look and uneasy feeling I felt inside of the pit of my stomach just as he stared at me. My hands drop the bag beside my feet, the cold glass of water settles gently against the small end table beside me in my new bedroom and near the door while I try to calm down.

Jenna tried to make me feel as comfortable as she could with how it's decorated. A black and white duvet cover is spread across my bed, pillows that match the flowers on the fabric. Two smaller white lamp shades sit on each side of the bed as I look around at the pictures on the walls. She had even managed to find a picture of Stefan and I. Part of me wants to accuse her of going through my things. However, it must have fallen out of my suitcase as she helped me bring them into my bedroom. The rooms nice, their house is warm and calm.

However, this isn't home. Home's more than 1,380 miles away and my heart hurts when I think about it all. About all the loss I left behind, about how half of my heart still resides in the very small town of Mystic Falls right where Stefan is.

Turning on one of the lamps in my room, I glance up at myself through the black framed mirror on the wall and exhale deeply. I know it's late for me to call him. But, after my encounter with Alaric, I need someone to talk too and to stop feeling so shaken up.

"Elena, Are you alright?" He asks in a groggy tone after the second ring. My eyes close as I walk over to the bed, laying beside it and leaning my head back into the pillows behind me. God, I miss his voice, I miss everything about him and it hurts like hell to know that I might never see him again.

"Yeah." I choke out, trying so hard not to cry at the sound of his concerned voice. "I miss you." He says, hearing me exhale as I bury myself deeper into the covers and begin to cry by his simple confession. I miss him too, I miss him more than he'll ever know and this distance is killing me both psychically and emotionally.

"I miss you too." I sob out, covering my mouth with my hand as the tears begin to appear against my cheeks and the sound of his voice soothes me. "Elena, this was for the best. You know that. Deep down, we both do. But, it doesn't hurt any less. I love you, Elena. I love you so much and I," He pauses, quiet coming over the phone that's pressed against my ear because I don't want to let go, I don't want to stop the sound of his voice filling my mind or the sense of comfort it brings me right now when I need it the most.

"You what?" I ask him, softly as I pull the covers over my head and wipe away my falling tears with my fingertips.

"I should have asked you to marry me at that church." He blurts out, causing me to laugh a little.

"Stefan, we're too young for marriage. We're too young to even have been parents too...I'm not responsible enough to be a wife, let alone a mother." I add in sorrowfully, the feeling of hurt overwhelming me because I've tried to block the emptiness I feel inside of my heart out of my mind. But, while running my hand over my stomach makes the pain of losing the baby increase even more. If only I had been smarter and listened to Caroline's warning of not going out, losing the baby would have never happened and we'd still be together. We'd be happy and we'd have a shot of being parents together.

"I disagree." He says quietly, the sound of a door opening in the background causes me to be curious as to where he is or what he's doing as the noises get louder with shouting and what sounds like techno music.

"It hurts me, knowing that it's my fault that I lost the baby. I shouldn't have been out that night. I shouldn't have been driving to see you." I comment through tears in my eyes, exhaling deeply and pushing up from the bed as I look around my room for the pills that Rebekah had stashed away in my purse. I'm not really sure what had possessed me to get a fresh new batch from her without Stefan knowing about them, a few days before I moved. However, the pull towards them and the painful memories that I'm feeling haven't been allowing me to sleep and I now know that I need them more than ever.

The pill bottle opening and closing causes him to be on alert instantly. He must have heard the rattling noise they made in my hands because what he asks next, irks me just a bit. "Elena, it wasn't your fault. None of that was your fault. You can't blame yourself for things that are out of your control." He stops from speaking for a long drawn out moment before he asks. "You're not on any pills for the pain in your shoulder or anything like that right now? Are you? Rebekah hasn't supplied you with any, right?"

I close my eyes, pressing the phone against my ear as I shake my head, figuring out the best way to lie to him as my fingers curl around the white pills. "Never thought you'd want them again. But, here take them. Just, be careful. They're a lot stronger than that shit that the doctors prescribe, their potency is much higher." Rebekah had said while we met up a few blocks from school and I had lied to Stefan as to where I was going, telling him that I was going to the city library to return a few books.

I laugh a little. "No, I'm not." I tell him, hearing footsteps in the hallway and Stefan sounding as if he's going out somewhere. "I hope you're not lying to me, sweetheart. But, if you are. I will find out by asking Rebekah myself. I care about you and I love you. I know that this is hard on you, Elena. This is hard on me too. It kills me inside knowing of the things we lost. But, I'm trying to deal with it. However, I want you to deal with this in a healthy way and if Rebekah did give you those pills again and you're taking them. It's not the answer to your problems, Elena. Please, don't do this to yourself. I know you feel guilty and sad. But, this isn't the answer." He tells me with a stern tone, almost sounding like a parental figure.

"I lost everything, Stefan! I lost our baby that we could have had and I don't think I'll ever be able to have another one again, a little girl or boy that could have been ours. And, then I lost you. I don't have anything else to live for, Stefan. It hurts too much to do so anyways and these pills, they numb it all out. I feel nothing, I feel unburdened." I cry out, popping the pill in my mouth and guzzling it down with water as I hear him say. "You have me, you will always have me."

I swallow down the pain and the pill as I lower the phone and muffle my tears with my hand, leaning down against the bed and feeling the cold empty sheets against my legs. I wish I could be with him right now, I wish that he could take my pain away. But, this separation is tearing us apart already and I can't bear it anymore when I state. "That's where you're wrong. I don't have you anymore. You're thousands of miles away from me and so is the piece of my heart that got left behind with you. It's better this way, like you said. Being apart this way, you won't be able to see me destroy myself like I should have done a long time ago when my parents died."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"You must be the guy Elena was dating before she skipped town." Lexi comments, smiling widely at me as I place my hands into my pockets, not wanting to touch anything in her nasty run down looking apartment as the music blares and bumps on into the night. It's a little past midnight here and I called Elena six times without a reply after we hung up. I couldn't sleep because I was so worried about her. So, I snuck out of the house and ended up here after asking Caroline who Rebekah Mikaelson got her drugs from and telling her that I think Elena's gotten herself into trouble.

"Yeah, I am. How do you know Elena?" I ask her, narrowing my eyes to her bloodshot face as she inhales deeply in between taking drags of a cigarette in her hands.

"Oh please, I've seen her around here with Rebekah Mikaelson. The blonde, right over there, making out with some random guy." Lexi states, waving over to Rebekah as I roll my eyes, my knuckles clenching tightly at the thought of what Lexi Branson is doing to this young girl and what her supply of drugs could be doing to Elena at the moment. She won't talk to me, she won't text me back and I don't have her aunts phone number to call her. So, naturally, I'm paranoid and fearing the worst as I anxiously wait for her to contact me. I can't call Damon and ask him to track down Elena's aunt's phone number since he's out on assignment and Bonnie has no idea I'm even out this late.

"Rebekah." I comment, narrowing my eyes at her as she huffs out an annoyed breath and pushes away from the greasy looking blonde haired guy that she's making out with. "Who wants to know?" She spits out angrily at me, smiling for a millisecond as she adds in. "Stefan Salvatore, did you come to Lexi's party for the sex because you're lonely?" She licks her lips, pushing up from the table and placing her hand against my chest as she grins up at me with darkened and hazy blue eyes. "I could give you the ride of a lifetime because I'm amazing in bed. All you have to do is take me out of here." She winks, backing away from whispering into my ear and pulling down on my ear lobe with her teeth as she adds in seductively. "Elena would never have to know. It could be our little secret. Just you and me."

I clear my throat, pushing her away as I run my hands through my hair. "You are far from my type. And, that's not why I'm here and I'd never cheat on Elena with a girl who's been whoring herself around to get a fix. Now, listen to me and listen good." I'm nearly foaming at the mouth from anger as she begins to pull away from me and I grab a hold of her wrists, pinning them against my chest so that we're eye level with one another. "I would never be with you or anyone else. All I want is Elena back here. But, you. Rebekah, are screwing her up with those pills you gave her." I spit out at her as she attempts to wiggle away her hands from my strong grasp. "What are you talking about? You're delusional. I never gave her anything." She tries to say in a way of justifying her actions.

"What do you want with me then? Why did you come all the way out here to ruin my night of fun?" She hisses out as I lean into her. We're just inches away, I can smell the strong aroma of booze and a cheap perfume on her skin as I lock my darkened green gaze on to her and state with a pissed off tone. "I want to know what kind of drugs my girlfriend took to Texas with her because of you and I want to know how I can save her from whatever she's about to get herself into before she ends up dead!"

Releasing her hands, I cross my arms over my chest as she laughs a little, running her fingers through her perfectly curled and golden colored hair. "There is no cure for her anymore, Stefan. Once Elena starts taking them, she'll be addicted. Besides, she wanted something stronger to help her with the pain." She adds in with a wink, leaning forward. "I heard about the miscarriage and no wonder she wants to forget. I'm sorry about the baby."

"No, you're not sorry. You just saw this as an opportunity to make her just like you. A drug addict." I comment with a pissed off glance as she shrugs her shoulders back and smiles. "Will you relax? I'm no such thing. Besides, all I gave Elena was some pretty strong OxyContin. They'll make her forget all about the pain she's been through temporarily. It'll be her choice if she decides to abuse them or not. That's not my problem. It'll be hers."

Rebekah takes a cautious step back, the guy who was with her has moved on by now and it's just the two of us as I push her down on to the couch and she reaches out to touch me with a pure joyous smile on her face while purring into my ear. "Now, that's more like it." Moving my lips the closest I can while wedging my knee in between her legs, I breath out a warning against her earlobe. "If I hear anything about you or Lexi supplying my girlfriend with more drugs or if anything happens to her while she's in Texas. I swear to god that I will hunt you both down and make you ever regret giving her those pills. Let this be your warning, Rebekah. You were never her friend, you were just a bad influence in her life and somehow, you still are."

* * *

**-Damon-**

The dinging of Katherine's cell phone makes me nearly roll off the bed in our small hotel room we're sharing since we've been here. "Ugh, it's too early for a wake up call. Tell whoever it is to call back later." She hisses out, taking the pillow from beneath her head and covering her face with it as I watch from across the two full sized beds we're both laying on while she rolls away from the cell phone in the middle of the beds that's on a small corner table between us.

"It's your brother in law. He wants to brief us about the case." I comment, rubbing the sleepiness away from my eyes while hearing her roll back around towards me, kicking the sheets and ugly dark flowery printed bed cover away from her legs.

"I have a massive headache and I want to sleep. Tell him that. Also, tell him that 5:30 am is a ridiculous time to be calling someone for a briefing on a case. We know everything we should about Alaric, all we need to know is where the fuck he's at right now. Hell, we could go take him down by ourselves if we wanted. We don't need a tactical team or backup." I hear her comment as she gets up and rolls her eyes.

"A tactical team. That's cute." I comment with a smile, remembering how she had met Kol. He was part of the SWAT team that Katherine had been trying to be a part of. However, she couldn't pass the rigorous physical exams that went with it all. So, Kol became her trainer and helped her get into shape as he slowly moved up the ranks and became a SWAT team member himself.

"Kol taught you a few things, didn't he?" I ask her, swinging my legs over the bed and placing my hands on to my knees, getting ready to get up.

"He did." She says, smiling a little as she too swings her legs over her bed and matches my body language of placing her hands on to her knees while starting up at me.

"Kol taught me a lot more than you ever did." She says teasingly, turning away for a brief moment before she adds in. "I left town because you broke my heart. Running into you with Bonnie on your arm terrified me, Damon." She says softly, looking down at her bare hands and then at mine as she swallows the lump forming in her throat while examining my wedding ring.

"I wasn't ready to be in that kind of commitment with you, Katherine. It took my a long time to commit to anyone like that." I explain, hearing her exhale deeply.

"You were everything to me. My first kiss, the first guy I ever slept with. We taught each other how to love and be loved." She whispers out, inhaling and trying to fight away the tears that are threatening to spill over on to her cheeks.

"I loved you so much and what I did to you was wrong." I comment, leaning over and placing my hand on to her knee as she glances up at me through watery brown eyes. "At least tell me this..." Katherine's voice trails off as she places her hand on to mine and gazes into my darkened blue eyes as I too gulp down the thousands of emotions I'm feeling just sitting across from her. "Tell you what?" I ask her softly, locking my gaze on to hers as I hear her say. "Tell me that you love her more than you ever loved me and that you're happy now, Damon?"

We're both silent, sitting across from each other as I open my mouth and bite down on my lower lip, staring into her eyes and ready to answer her with a purely honest tone just when my cell phone goes off again and Katherine tells me to ignore it. "It might be important." I tell her, shrugging my shoulders back and getting up from the bed as I glance down at the phone on the table while reading the name out loud. "Bonnie."

* * *

**A/N: So, Alaric used to be a professor and he's kind of reminded of Tatia because of Elena and her looking a little like each other...Uh oh...That won't be good. Not at all! Also, Elena turning to popping pills, lets be honest...you had to see that one coming, the girl is a wreck. :(  
**

**Reviews are always apreciated. :)**

**-More goodness to come!-**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates or to chat about my stories at:BePassionate_24**

 


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds-Chapter Eleven-**

**-Jenna-**

It was early morning when I found her on the floor of her bedroom, clutching the pill bottle. They've pumped her stomach and they've said that she might need a psych evaluation to make sure she won't harm herself. However, as I sit in the empty hallway with my face in my hands, I can't get the image of her lifeless body out of my head. Alaric and I rushed her to the hospital and he's gone to go get us both some coffee as I pull out my cell phone and check for any missed calls. John or Jillian haven't called yet, I left them a message around 6:30 this morning and told them of the incident. Yet, neither of them seem to be in a rush to call and check up on their niece.

"Are you still sure you want to do this," Alaric pauses, taking a seat beside me and handing me a cup of coffee as I lift my head up to meet his gaze.

"You're having second thoughts about Elena living with us after this, aren't you?" I ask him, my finger going in a circular motion around the rim of the Styrofoam tan colored coffee cup in my hand as he shakes his head, replied simply. "No, not about her. I think it's good that she isn't in Mystic Falls anymore. What I meant was the boy. Jenna, do you really think that bringing him back into your niece's life is a good idea right now? Elena seems very, unstable."

Turning towards my husband, I exhale deeply. "As much as I hate to admit it, tearing her away from him was a mistake. This young man that she clearly cares for very much was a good influence on her. Now, I'm not saying that she should go back to her hometown and be with him. But, what I am saying is that within the next few weeks, Stefan Salvatore should make an unannounced visit here and hopefully it will make Elena feel just a little bit better."

Alaric shakes his head, leaning back into his seat as he looks back to me. "I guess you're right. But, how are you going to get him to agree to being with her after you were the one who tore them apart in the first place?"

Closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the wall, I hear one of the nurses walking out of Elena's room and saying something about her being under a heavy sedation to keep her calm after she had a bit of an episode when they pumped her stomach from ingesting the handful of sleeping pills she had taken.

"I'm going to reach out to his brother. There aren't many Salvatore's in Mystic falls, honey. He shouldn't be that hard to get into contact with." I tell Alaric with a hopeful tone, thinking about how hard it will really be in trying to contact my niece's boyfriend's older brother about their relationship in which he probably has no clue about.

* * *

**-Damon-**

"Aren't you going to answer that? I mean, she is your wife and she's calling you." Katherine points out with a straight face, lifting up herself from the bed as she buttons up her jeans with a heavy exhale. "I swear, these things used to fit better when I was at Quantico with you. Now, I feel like I care barely breathe in them." She laughs, pointing back to the cell phone which is still going off in my hand. Licking her lips, Katherine walks over to me, grabbing it from my palm. "If you don't answer it, I will and then your beautiful wife will know something is up. But, here's the thing, nothing is going on with us because you aren't a cheater and I'm not a home wrecker. So, answer the damn phone while I got get us some coffee and breakfast." She tells me, grabbing her purse and stepping out of the room just as my phone goes to the last ring and I answer it quickly.

"Hi babe." I comment breathlessly, hearing Bonnie giggle a little.

"Hi. Did I catch you at a bad time?" She asks me as I shake my head, hearing the door close behind Katherine while I relax a bit, taking a seat on my bed.

"No, not at all. One of the guys just left to go get us some food and I was heading into the bathroom when you called. Figured I'd catch it before it went to voice mail. Also, because I wanted to make sure I got the chance to hear your voice." I tell her, hearing as she sighs out a breath, the sound of something tapping against a hard surface is heard in the background when she says to me. "Damon, your brother isn't doing so well. He's not talking to me as much, he's staying out late and coming in at 1 or 2 in the morning. I'm worried about him. Really worried about him."

Tightening the grasp I have around my cell phone helps me control my anger towards Stefan a bit. Does he really need to be acting out again now when I'm gone? That's the last thing that Bonnie needs at the moment and I swear to God that it places my brother on very thin ice with me once again and I'm more than tempted to call my father up and tell him to move Stefan back home for good. But, even though he's been having a rough time. He was doing better while he was with that girl, Elena. So, I know that her sudden departure had put Stefan in a hard spot.

"Look, he's having a rough time and just as long as he's not doing drugs or anything. He's going to be fine. Bonnie, I am 100 percent sure that he's fine. He's just upset and pissed off that he's separated from that girl he cares about and all the things that happened between them which I totally understand to be honest." I explain to her, listening as she too takes a deep breath of relief. "I'll try talking to him again." She says as I hear some commotion in the background and she adds in. "I need to go. Be careful and safe. I love you." She tells me just as I tell her that I love her too, my head snaps up when the door knob opens back up and I hang up the phone. I watch when the door pushes back open and Katherine stumbles back inside of our hotel room, shaking her head at me.

"You didn't tell her about us, you lied to her and said that you were with 'some of the guys'" She states, quoting the last part of my conversation with with her fingers. Katherine bites down on her lower lip, she's pissed off at me for my slip up. Getting up, I shove off of the bed roughly and stand near her, eying her close. "Do you really want to know why I didn't tell my new wife that I was with you?"

Scoffing, she runs her hands through her hair, leaning her back against the door. Katherine crosses her arms over her chest and tilts her head to the side as I stand up and walk towards her, leaving no space between us while meeting her chest to chest. We're just inches apart and I can feel the thick tension in the room as she swallows down what I know is her own regret for what happened between us. "I didn't tell her about us, ever. I didn't want to burden her with my past because when I moved away to go to school, I wasn't planning on coming back home and seeing you again. But, it did happen and that day I saw you and we ran into each other. A small part of me wondered if I was making a mistake, part of me was still holding on to some hope I had for you and after we talked for a little bit. I realized that I couldn't and I wouldn't do that anymore. I am a married man now, Katherine." Heavy faltered breathing makes her eyes close as I continue on ranting. "I know that you loved me, I loved you too. Damn it, that ring around Bonnie's finger, the one she wore so proudly when we were engaged. That was supposed to be yours!"

"You were going to ask me to marry you?" She's angry, I can see the tense way her body moves as she gives me a hostile look. "You were going to marry me! Why are you telling me this now, Damon?"

I bite down on my lower lip, closing my eyes and looking away from her with a soft voice I speak out. "Because, my wife never once knew about the history I had with you. And, now every time I see it. I can't stop thinking about you and what we could have had. What our lives could have been like had I not met her and broken up with you before I left. Had I not fallen in love with her while trying to piece myself back together after I left you." Sighing deeply, my hand caresses her face when I conclude. "I didn't want to fall in love with her because I was still in love with you. But, it just happened."

"I know, because I felt the same way. I hated you for so long after what you did to me! But, then I met Kol and that hate for you grew into something else. I forgave you, Damon. For leaving me. Because we were just two silly college kids that didn't know any better and we thought we were in love. Hell, maybe we really were in love. Maybe, you'll always be my one first true love." She spits out, shaking her head and turning her back to me as she opens the hotel room door and I slam it shut with the force of my hand, hovering over her. Her chest is pressed up against the door as she cries. "Let's make this clear right now. I love my ex-husband, Kol and you love your wife, Bonnie. So, whatever this is between us is just business. I'm here to do a job and to not be distracted by you or our past. Besides, you said it yourself. You're a married man now, Damon." She tells me, tears streaming down her face as she exhales deeply when I take a step back and she inhales sharply as I take my hand, wiping away her tears with the back of it. "We have a job to do and that is what we need to be focusing on right now, not our feelings. We need to get Alaric Saltzman off the streets and get my ex husband home so that I can resume my life and never have to see you again. Because once this is over, I want you to know that I don't want to ever see you again."

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Stefan?" I'm gasping as I say his name, searching the room for someone I know who isn't even there. "Come back to me." Turning my head away with tears in my eyes from the door as it opens up just a little and Jenna steps inside, I wave her off. Not even wanting to deal with her or what she's going to say to me. She thinks I'm just some attention seeking teenage girl on the cusp of a very early forced adulthood. The last part is true, the first one...Not so much. I wasn't seeking attention when I took the pills, I was seeking a release from my nightmarish reality. Because every time I sleep now, I see his broken green eyes and the lifeless body of my baby, the exact moment that I gave birth to the premature fetus that didn't survive.

"Sweetie, you can't keep doing this to yourself because you're self sabotaging and acting out for attention. Not to mention being irresponsible. It's been a few weeks since I separated the two of you thinking it was for the best. But, now I'm realizing that I was wrong. Elena," She reaches out to me, her fingertips brushing up and out against the blanket that is draped over my slender shoulders. "Honey, I want him to come here to be with you. I don't think that you should go back home to Mystic Falls. But, I think he should come out here for a while. So that you two can be together."

My body aches, my stomach is cramping up and I feel like I got trampled by a stampede of angry bulls as I exhale with gritted teeth and turn back around to face her. My emotions are flat when I state the obvious thing that I already know. "What? You want him to be with me just so that when things go wrong again. You can force us both out and tell me that he's wrong for me and that it's all my fault I got myself into this mess if I end up pregnant again. I don't need your pity. If I want to see Stefan, I'll leave your house in the middle of the night without telling you, steal some of your cash, catch a bus. You know, I've mapped it out in my head a million times, a thousand different ways in my head already, how I can get myself back home to be with my friends and with him again. To be as far away from you as I can. But, I know you'll pull me back and you'll find me. So, there's no use. Jenna, the moment you tore Stefan and I apart, you made sure that I burned the connection I had with him." Licking my dried lips as she tries to grab a hold of my hand, I pull away, turning my head away from her and staring at an oil painting of darkened waves a man carrying a surfboard. Life is just like the ocean. You can ride the waves of life into the happiness and joyous moments because that's what we all crave. But, the moment you come crashing down with sadness and despair, those waves of life can ruin you entirely.

"Get out. Please, just get out!" I shout at her with a frustrated tone, burying my face into the warmth of the down feather pillow behind my head as I sob into it.

"Elena, let me help you." She begs, whispering softly. "I'm on your side, sweetheart. You need to trust me and stop trying to hurt yourself. Please, you need to know that you can trust me and I did all of this for your best interest. I did it for you because I wanted to make sure that you were taken care of by the only family you have left. Me."

Wiping away my tears and lifting up my head, I scoff at her words. "Family?" Questioning her words, I push myself up from the pillows and the bed as I lock my eyes on to her and state with a harsh tone. "You became my family no more than six months ago. You're still a stranger to me and because you're a stranger to me. I'd like it if you just got the hell out of my room!" Screaming my words at the top of my lungs, Jenna retreats slowly out of my hospital room, covering her mouth and shaking her head with tears flooding her eyes, she says in a voice that is tiny and just above a small little whisper. "I am so sorry. Please, sweetie. You need to believe that I'm here for you. Because I am. I truly am the only person you have left."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"So, Rebekah told me that you threatened her. What's that all about?" Caroline asks, taking a seat across from me as she places down her purse on the park bench where I had asked her to meet me. Ever since Elena left, Caroline and I have gotten to know each other more and she too hates that Elena isn't here in Mystic Falls where we both think she should be.

"She gave Elena more pills before she left for Texas. To be honest, she was asking for it. That girl is going to get herself killed one day if she keeps going down the path that she's going on and I didn't want her dragging Elena down with her." I comment with a detached tone as Caroline reaches out to me, placing her hand on top of mine.

"Hey, Elena is going to come back. She can't just leave the way she did and not see you again. Stefan, she loves you and I know that she does. I'm one of her closest friends, I know these things about her." Caroline tells me confidently, a small smile forming across her lips as she looks back behind her, staring out into the group of football players that have gathered out on the damp and muddy field tossing a football around.

"Are you seeing Tyler now that Elena's gone?" I blurt out suddenly, causing Caroline to turn her head back towards me with a laugh and a slight shake of her head. "No!"

"What makes you think that?" She asks, this starry eyed glance covering her blue eyes and a giggly tone leaving past her lips just when I mention his name.

"Nothing, I just noticed that in these last few weeks since Elena's been gone that the two of you have gotten closer and he seems less of an asshole around you." Laughing, Caroline rolls her eyes and fixes her hair, asking while leaning towards me. "And, what do I seem like around him?"

Inhaling sharply with a small smile back at her, I purse my lips together. "You're less anything and I tolerate you better around him." Tossing a crumpled up napkin at me, we're both laughing so hard that our faces are red. But, the moment is cut short when a loud and obnoxious ring tone is heard echoing out from my jacket pocket. "I need to get this. My brother's wife has me on her very own version of house arrest since I snuck out and told Rebekah where to shove her drugs."

Caroline nods, turning back towards the field and waving out to Tyler who is already covered in a mixture of rain and mud as I feel small droplets of heavier rain begin to fall from the sky above us.

"Bonnie, I am at the park and I'll be home shortly." I comment, hearing someone else exhale deeply with a weak voice as she says my name in a low and sleepy tone. "Stefan?"

My heart stops, palms sweating and my voice shakes as I speak her name in disbelief. "Elena?"

"Yeah, it's me...Listen, I'm not doing so good and I just, I called because I needed to hear a familiar voice. I needed to hear your voice. I'm sorry I scared you last time we talked." She tells me. I can hear beeping from what sounds like machines around her as I inhale sharply. "Don't worry about that."

We're both quiet for a long time before she speaks with a rough and heavy tone. "Stefan, I need to see you. I can't do this, I can't be here without something familiar because right now I feel like I'm drowning and every time I close my eyes I see our baby, I see the baby and I see your face and it just-." She heavily exhales with a deep breath. "It's tearing me apart inside because I love you so much and I hate that we're not together right now when I need you the most."

I wish I was there with her, I wish I could hold her tightly and kiss her damp cheeks, wash away all of her worries and my own. But, I don't have a job and even when I did it, the things I was doing were fairly dangerous. I can that's how you can describe it lightly, underground illegal activities that would surely get me arrested in this small town because I'd easily get caught. Probably by Caroline's mother who is a police officer and Tyler's dad who is the mayor of this shitty little town filled we people who are all trying to escape from their broken dreams and shattered lives.

"I don't have any way of getting to you right now, sweetheart. I'm sorry." I tell her sorrowfully and honestly as she exhales deeply and then coughs out a breath. I can hear someone opening a door in the background, the sound of her aunt's voice is heard as Elena says "Hold on one minute."

I can hear Elena tell her that she'd like me to come visit her, just for a short while and that was only if her aunt didn't interrupt our time together at all. She returns to the phone, I can tell because I can hear her staggered breathing again, I remember it well because that's the way she breathes when she's stressed out or scared.

"That's why I'm calling Stefan. My aunt Jenna wants to make you an offer." Her voice trembling when she finishes with. "Jenna wants you to come out here to Texas and stay with me for a little while. I know you have school. So, it'll be during the week of winter break that's coming up in a few days. She thinks us seeing each other would be a good thing and I really need this. I really need you."

I'm raking my mind around the idea of calling up Matt and asking him to pay for my ticket there so that I don't feel indebted to her aunt. But, that passes quickly when Elena adds on softly. "It was her idea, she will pay for your plane tickets. All you need money for is food, if we go out."

Inhaling through gritted teeth, I close my eyes and say to her. "I need to think about it. But, listen to me. I am going to make sure that we see each other again, no matter what. I love you, Elena and please, be good for me. We'll be together again soon. I promise." My voice cracks as the rain droplets pick up and my warm tears mix in with the cool feeling of the rain as she states softly in reply to my words. "I know we will be together again, it's only a matter of time. Because, being without you has been the worst last few weeks of my life."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? I honestly can't wait to get further into writing this story because the time jump that I plan on doing in a few chapters is going to flip everyone's lives completely upside down. So, stay tuned! ;)**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	13. Chapter Tweleve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. All Human. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows. What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games? (Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Datherine)

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favorited and who are following this story. Things are about to take a very interesting turn. So, enjoy!  
**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**-Dangerous** **Minds Chapter Twelve-**

**-Katherine-**

"How much longer are we going to be stalking Alaric Saltzman?" I ask him, tossing down a file that I got from the one of the largest police department archives in the city. "Says here that after Tatia was buried, Alaric was brought in as a suspect of interest. They didn't have enough evidence to hold him. So, they released him just hours later. He said that the night it happened, he was at the school for a bit and then he stopped to get gas before meeting up with his wife. According to him they were together all night long until the early morning when they found my cousin's body."

"We're going to keep stalking him until we find him, Katherine. Listen, he is bound to slip up soon enough. His wife will kick him out, someone will rat him out. We know his name and the state he's in now. All I need to figure out is where this guy works. Pay a visit to his job or his home, become a real stalker." He says, leaning back into his chair and staring down at his wedding ring.

"I'm sorry." Whispering out my words causes Damon to look at me slowly, his eyes lift up finally after a few minutes as he's eye level with me.

"About what? About us talking shit out and me telling you that my wife's engagement ring was supposed to be yours? Don't worry about it. Bonnie and I got drunk a few weeks ago and it fell into the toilet, she lost it in there. Flushed it actually. Look," He pauses, licking his lip and shrugging his shoulders back. "You and I had something amazing. But, you're right. I'm a married man and even though you're divorced. I know you love your ex-husband. So, I'm going to make things better with my wife and you should do the same with Kol. And, let's drop this topic so that we can just focus on the case."

"What else do we know?" He asks sternly. I can't look him in the eyes as I flip open the file folder and turn it towards him. He's right, we did have something amazing together. But, he is married now and I still do love Kol. What Damon and I had should just remain a distant memory and nothing more. Reminding myself of this, I lean forward and clear my throat. "I found his address. I think we should pay him a visit."

"What?" Damon questions with a surprised tone, watching me run my fingers through my hair, I smile at him.

"2356 NE River Lane." Biting on my lower lip nervously, Damon grabs his phone while telling me that we'll need a tactical team before we go after Alaric.

"We just have theories and Elijah's word. We can't just go after him without probable cause." He hears me state as I place my hand over his, stopping him from dialing Elijah's number so that he can set up our back up team.

"So, what are we supposed to do, Katherine? Wait until he goes after another girl, until he nearly kills someone else? Is that when we're supposed to go after him. Because, if that's your answer, that isn't good enough for me. We need to scoop him out and we need to do it now!" Damon snarls out, shoving up from his seat and taking the file with him as he starts storming out of the small coffee shop we're in. Glancing around when he walks away from me, I grab my jacket and follow him outside.

"Wait! Damon, stop fucking walking and talk to me. What do you want to do? How are we supposed to prove he killed her when no one else in this damn town thinks he did. Alaric was her professor, that's all." He's angry, clutching the folder into his hand, Damon turns back to me and scoffs.

"That's what you believe? After all these years, you still think he was just your cousin's professor?" Shaking his head, he exhales deeply. "He was fucking her behind his wife's back, Katherine! They were having an affair. All the fucking signs of one where there in the evidence. It's just the stupid local police are too dumb to put these things together. The hours they were seen together by a few witnesses were all outside of his office hours after a few months, they were seen going to her dorm!"

Shaking my head, tears start welling up into my eyes as I exhale deeply. "No, she wasn't that type of girl. Damon, she was a good girl. My cousin was-." Cutting me off, I watch while he lifts up a piece of paper and dangles it in front of my face. "Your cousin was a good kid, I'm sure she was. But, Alaric wasn't such a good guy. He has a rap sheet filled with domestic abuse and charges of assault, all of these things he's managed to sweep under the rug and keep quiet from people that know him in this town. Katherine, your cousin wasn't the only girl to go missing who was a brunette at the time that Alaric started working at the college and appeared in this town. There were two more girls, the same age, same looks, same height. He has a type. A killer like him, always has a type."

"Wait, now he's a serial killer? So, you think you're a profiler? Damon, just because you got the job in Virginia. It doesn't make you shit. He might have killed her. But, we don't have anything yet to prove he's still after these types of girls. He hasn't struck in at least a year!" He hears me snap at him, running my fingers through my hair and grinding my teeth back.

"It doesn't matter. Because we're going to find out everything before he goes after another one." He tells me, taking a step towards me as he grins.

My eyebrows lift, my body tenses at the idea of being in the same room as the unsuspected killer in which we're tracking. "And, how are we going to do that?"

He points towards my purse, pinching the sides of his mouth while running his tongue over his bottom lip, Damon concludes. "We're going to go to the address you found and we're going to pretend to be two very lost sight seeing folks." He winks, hailing a cab before I can even protest, Damon's got his arm around my waist and pulls me against him as he speaks while looking down the street towards the cab coming our way. "Shouldn't be too hard. We already have the chemistry to make him believe that we're a couple."

* * *

**-Jenna-**

"It's good to have you here." I tell him, watching as he buckles his seat belt and places his hands into his lap. Stefan looks nervous, exhausted and just a little bit on edge.

"Yeah, thanks for having me come out here." He replies softly, looking out the window mostly as we stop by a few fast food chains and a few larger restaurants before getting on the freeway. "You hungry at all. I can get you something to eat before I drop you off at the hotel."

Stefan shakes his head, yawning. "When am I going to see her? It's been a few weeks, Jenna. She-" He swallows the lump I can almost hear going down in his throat as he adds in with a low voice. "She needs me."

My hands tighten around the steering wheel as I continue to look for someplace to buy him food before I drop him off at the hotel that I reserved a room for him at. It's about 10 minutes away from our house and I gave Elena the address to it. Told her that whenever she was ready to go see him that she could. I wouldn't stop her at all or make her come home, unless there was a problem.

"I gave her the address and she has her own car. Stefan, I told her that she could be with you on her own terms. Look, she has been through a lot and her family is to blame for that. Believe me, I'm to blame for that. So, that's why I brought you here. Elena is very fond of you and I thought I could keep you two apart, I thought that it would be the best thing for her. Which, now I've realized that it isn't." My voice falters a little as I pull the car over into a parking lot of a grocery store. He's staring at me blankly, locking his eyes on to mine when he repeats my words. "You won't stop us from being alone with each other?"

I'm smiling just a little when I place my hand on top of his. "No, sweetheart. I won't. But, you do need to promise me that while you're here. You can't break her heart again, Stefan and you won't be irresponsible with her. She loves you and I trust you to keep your word."

"I promise." He states, looking back out to the parking lot and opening the car door, I watch Stefan turn to me when he adds. "Thank you, Jenna. For bringing me here. I've missed her a lot."

Shrugging my shoulders and watching as he steps out of the car, I smile at him. "You're welcome." I comment, glancing over to see him shut the door as his cell phone rings and he picks it up while walking towards the grocery store building with one hand on his cell phone and the other nervously in his pocket. Stefan turns back to me and smiles a thankful look of relief colors his features as I lean back into the seat and exhale deeply, whispering out. "Please god, please tell me that I'm making the right choice by doing this. Because, Elena needs someone. She needs someone who loves her right now more than ever."

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Where's Jenna?" I ask him, stumbling down the stairs while walking past him. Alaric watches me tug my light pink hoodie over my shoulders, pulling my hair out from it while he tilts his head to the side, leaning against the kitchen counter and smirking up at me. "She's out." He replies, pushing himself up from the counter and in the way he does it, my stomach starts to get that tightening and nervous feeling.

"Well, let me know when she comes back home." I comment, pivoting away from him and heading back up to my bedroom. Alaric's booming tone of voice stops me though right in my tracks.

"Wait. Elena, you've been avoiding me ever since you came back from the hospital. A week ago. Is something wrong? Do you not like me being around the house or," He pauses, getting up and standing in front of me, Alaric extends out his hand and caresses my face. The closer he gets to me, the more I can smell the scent of boozes on his breath. My attempt at backing away as he steps closer and corners me fails fast. My heart is racing, my palms lay flatly against the green colored wallpaper in the kitchen. Alaric leans forward, we're chest to chest as he begins whispering ever so softly. "You look just like her...So beautiful and doe eyed. " He says.

Swallowing down my fear, I exhale out a shaky breath. I know who he's talking about, who he's saying that I look like. Tatia Petrova. The girl who went missing and was later found dead. My eyes widen as he leans forward and inhales deeply, his nose buried into my hair while he takes in my scent. Backing away after a few minutes, he licks his bottom lip almost seductively. "She was a lot more talkative though and she liked me. My company, especially."

I'm frozen with fear, wanting to scream or shout as he twists strands of my dark chestnut colored hair in between his fingers and his eyes glisten with a hungry that I've never seen in any man before. "Please don't hurt me." I stammer out, scared and shocked at how open he is about Tatia and who he was to her...Her lover.

Alaric steps back, raising his hands in the air, laughing a little. "I won't hurt you, darling. I just want a little agreement." He's crossed his arms over his chest, adjusting his shirt and staring at me with a hopeful stare.

"You're the one who killed her! Didn't you!" I don't know what overpowers me to say it. But, once I do. It's like a storm brews inside of him and the nice guy that I had met a little over a week ago turns into a violent and crazed shell of the man I had seen with Jenna. Slamming me against the wall, he leans into me and stares me deep into the eyes. "I didn't do any of the things that they accused me of. I'm innocent. Now, listen to me, Elena. You're a very smart and pretty girl. So, here's what I'm proposing. I have needs that my wife can't provide. So-." The spit coming out of my mouth cuts his off as he once against twists my hair into a knot made by his hand until he's got a fist full of my hair and has me leaning into him from the pain, Alaric doesn't stop until I'm nearly on the floor in tears, begging from him to let me go.

"I tried playing mister nice guy for far too long and all that's ever gotten me is in awkward situations. Kind of like the one we're in now. Although, I've never had to use force, until now." His cold feeling fingers lift my quivering chin up as he secures his gaze on to me and angrily says. "Listen here you little bitch. You and I are going to keep up the rouse of being nice to each other and you aren't going to tell anyone of what you know or what I proposed of you. Also, you aren't going to fuck up anything between Jenna and I while you're here living with us." He threatens me, letting go of my hair the minute that we both hear the backdoor to the house unlocking and Jenna makes her presence heard. Alaric releases the grip he has on me and watches me fall to the floor, hitting my chin off the corner of the counter as I go down from the force he's pushed me at. The cut on my lip and chin causes a massive amount of gushing blood from my mouth as he tilts his head to the side and smirks. "Oh dear, my bad." He taunts.

"You might want to clean up before your aunt see's that nasty little cut." He states, tossing a towel at my face and leaning towards me once against while Alaric repeats. "Remember, Elena. If you don't want to end up like the others. We're going to play by my little game. Understood?"

Scrambling up to my feet, I take the towel he threw at me and nod at him with watery eyes. I can see the shadow of Jenna standing behind him as she places her hand on his shoulder and worriedly looks me over. "Oh my god, are you alright?" She asks, rushing over to me as I shiver while hearing Alaric explain with a chilling tone. "I came into the kitchen after I heard something fall. Sounded like Elena was trying to get into your stash of alcoholic or your prescription pills. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me with how broken of a girl she is. But, thankfully I was here to stop her from getting drunk and destroying our house. Isn't that right, Elena?"

* * *

"Elena!" Jenna shouts after me as I rush out of the house with nothing but my purse and car keys, covering my mouth so that she can't hear the strangled sobs coming out of it as I walk quickly and frantically to the car.

"Where are you going? We need to talk about this!" Spinning around and pushing myself against the driver's side door of my beat up 2001 dark blue ford explorer, she looks me over again, this time a bit more cautiously. Jenna extends out her hand to my face, wiping away the dried blood and tears. "Did he do this to you? Elena, sweetie. You can tell me. Did my husband hit you?" I look up at the house, averting her glances and seeing that he's got one of the blinds upstairs in their bedroom halfway opened while he stares down at us, probably expecting me to say that he did.

Shaking my head, I lie to her. "No, Alaric was right. I was looking for a fix and since I ran out of pills. I needed alcohol, walking into the kitchen I tripped and I fell. He found me the minute you walked in and he helped me get up." I wonder if she can see that I'm lying? I wonder if she can see the fear in my eyes that her crazed husband as instilled in me. I'm terrified of going back into their home and being under the same roof as him. I don't know what he'll do to me and the unknown is what makes me want to run.

"Oh, sweetie. I think you need to go to meetings like the social worker suggested. It'd be good for you." She says to me while I feel her arms wrap around my body and I relax into her for a bit. The realization of my aunt being an innocent pawn in the twisted game her husband is playing with her mind makes me queasy and I need to leave before I tell her everything and Alaric's threat becomes my reality.

"I'll look into it. I promise. I just, I need to go on a drive to clear my head right now. I'll be fine." She hears me say, allowing me to go. Jenna takes a step back and rubs her arms up and down from how frightened she had gotten about me. "Elena," She pauses, watching me roll down the window as I stick my head out. "Yeah?"

"You should go see him. He misses you." Jenna says quietly, standing alone in the driveway as I place the car in reverse and head in no particular direction. I should go see him because I've missed him so much. But, I can't see him like this. I'm a mess. A crying, bloodied, bruised and battered mess and going to see Stefan like this will only give him more of a reason to convince me to come back home and leave Jenna with her maniac of a husband which I can't do. So, I need something to calm me down and mellow me out before I go see him, I need a fix.

* * *

**-Alaric-**

"What really happened?" Jenna screams out into the living room, standing in front of the television as I wave her off, tell her that she's blocking my view of the football game on the big screen.

"I don't fucking care about the game. I want you to tell why my niece just ran out of this house in tears!" She exclaims, snatching the remote from my hands as she hovers over me and tosses it across the room, anger written all over her features. "Tell me!" She screams with a steady tone.

I feel like I'm backed into a corner. Lying to Jenna all these years about the things I've done and who I really am has been easy. She's naive and a pretty big idiot to my deception and to believe that this sham of a marriage between us is really something true. To be honest, I never really loved her, all I ever wanted Jenna for was so that my parent's could get off my ass about having a wife and family. Also, she's become a good alibi for covering up my extra martial affairs.

Calmly, I stand up and place my hands against her arms. "She's a teenage girl, lots of hormones. I'm pretty sure that she's going to get her period or something. Hm, as far as her falling in the kitchen. I told you that she was looking for drugs or booze. We should lock those up and make sure she goes to those meetings that the lady from social services suggested." I comment with a fake worried tone as I watch Jenna relax a bit and she runs her fingers through her hair, exhaling deeply. "I guess your right. Look," She pauses, closing her eyes and reaching out to place her hand into mine when she concludes. "I just want to her to be okay here with us. You know. Elena's never had a stable family life, not even with John and Jillian. But, I think she can have that here. After everything she's been through, that's all I want for her. A good, happy, stable house to live in with a family that loves her."

"Yeah, me too." I comment quietly, pulling Jenna into my arms and kissing the top of her head, hiding my facial expression from her view because I don't want her to see the grin on my face as I state "And that is exactly what she'll be getting her. A stable home life."

Jenna backs away from me as I kiss her forehead. I watch her eyes squint and then we see the headlights flash through the thin blinds in our living room. The sun is about to go down and the dark is taking over the sky as I look through the blinds and notice a man and woman stepping out of it. They look as if they're arguing about something. "What is it?" Jenna whispers out as I close the blinds, exhaling heavily. "Nothing, go into the kitchen. I'll handle it."

"Alaric, what's going on?" Jenna questions, ignoring her until she finally does as I say. I walk slowly to the door, my breathing becoming eradicated even more as I hear a loud knock on the front door and when I finally open it. I'm met with a pair of piercing dark blue eyes and a tall man with jet black hair. He's smiling at me, running his hands through his hair as he coughs out a breath when I ask if I can help with him anything.

He nods. "Yeah, man. Look, the girlfriend and I got into a stupid ass argument and we're kind of lost. New in town and I'm trying to find the fucking freeway." Rolling his eyes and looking back at the car that the brunette is sitting in, he adds with a smile. "Is there anyway that I could use your phone to call my dumb ass of a brother in law? Look, I promise it'll be quick. I'd use my cell phone. But, the battery died over an hour ago and my girlfriend lost hers at a truck stop. So, we're kind of lost, hungry and screwed, also I really need to piss." He laughs, looking back at the girl that I can now barely even catch a glimpse of in the car.

Taking a step back and looking him over, I can feel Jenna's hand creeping against my back suddenly until she comes up behind me and one of her arms is hung over my shoulder, with a beaming smile Jenna looks at me and says out loud. "Sure, why don't you two come on inside? The house phone is in the kitchen. Honey, that's okay with you. Isn't it?"

Licking my bottom lip, I nod. "Sure." I comment with a bit of hesitation, watching him wave to the girl in the car and as she steps out of the old looking Buick town car, my heart drops into my chest as he screams at her. "Kathy, come on and get your ass over here. They said we can use their phone!"

* * *

**-Stefan-**

A light knock on my hotel door awakens me just a little around 12:30 at night. Pushing up from the bed, I stretch out my tired legs a bit before answering it. The moment I take a step back and look up to see who my visitor is, her watery brown eyes meet mine. Neither of us says a word as she falls into my embrace and I'm holding her up right. "I didn't want to see you like this. I shouldn't have come here. But, I've been so lost and you're the only thing that makes sense in my screwed up life. Stefan, I-." Elena cries into the curve of my neck as she clings on to me and my left hand closes the door shut behind us. I'm holding her so tightly against me that I feel like if I were to let go, Elena would fall apart without my support. She feels so cold and fragile. I can't make her leave or turn her away now.

Lifting up her chin with my fingers I'm searching her eyes. I watch her brown gaze dart around the room as I hold her tear stained face into the palms of my hands, wiping away the falling tears while I look her over. The blood on her lip and chin is dried up, her mascara is smeared all over her cheeks and even though she's broken and battered. She still looks so beautiful. Elena helplessly shrugs her shoulder and sniffles into my ear. "I didn't know where else to go. I'm so sorry." With my hands firmly pressed against her cheeks, my eyes finally meet Elena's as I speak up. "I'm glad you're here sweetheart."

"Me too." She whispers, pulling me closer into her. Elena buries her face into my shirt and I can hear her breathing pick up as she cups her hand over mine and then she backs away, speaking in a soft tone before kissing me. "I don't ever want to be away from you again."

I can tell she's on something but I don't ask what. I'm too wrapped up in her finally being in front me to even notice the shakiness of her hands or the darting of her eyes around the room. I've missed her so much. "I don't want to be away from you either." I comment, watching Elena turn away from me, beginning to undress herself as her puffy cream colored jacket falls to the ground and then her white scarf follows soon after. She's breathing heavily, looking at me with a lopsided grin as I turn back towards her after making sure that the door to my hotel room is locked and secured. "Nice place my aunt hooked you up with." She comments, glancing over at the bed as I notice it, the bruises on her arms while she rolls up her sleeves and begins to strip off her long sleeve black shirt. "Who hurt you?" She hears me ask.

Pausing, dropping the shirt to the ground Elena laughs a little, pointing to the bruise on her elbow. "I fell. It's not that big of a deal. I fell on some ice at the skating rink with Jenna. She took me out so that I wasn't so confined in the house." Elena answers nonchalantly, scratching her head and watching me take a seat on one of the chairs in the room. She's nearly stripped herself down to her bra and underwear, telling me how she needs a shower and how cold she feels. But, the minute she steps in front of me, I'm at a loss for words. Elena presses her palm against my chest, leaning me back into the chair before straddling my lap and kissing my neck. She heaves out a breath, moving her hair to the side as my hands find her hips and my fingers latch against the belt loops of her jeans. My mouth craving hers as I kiss her deeply, feeling her hips roll against mine, we're breathlessly wrapped up into one another.

The second my mind catches up to what she wants, I stop myself and I back away from her, cupping her cheek into my hand. "What are you doing?" It's not a stupid question, it's not one of those where I don't know what she wants, she's made that very clear since the minute she steeped into my room. Because her coming over here, a crying mess of guilt and shame for whatever happened between us before we got separated is her driving force for throwing herself at me again. I don't want to take advantage of her fragile state, if we're going to be together like we once were. It should be on her terms and when she's sobered up. I'm not that type of guy and she knows this, so when she kisses my neck, working her mouth up towards my lips and scoffs as I keep talking, Elena places her fingers against my mouth.

"I want you." She states with a seductive tone, rolling her hips against my pelvis for good measure again and a reaction out of me. I close my eyes, biting down on my lower lip and with a shaky breath I inhale. I want her too. I want her more than she'll ever know. But, the problem is that I don't want her like this because she's strung out on whatever she took. Elena's barely the beautiful and smiling girl that I know and recognize.

Without flinching I calmly remove my hands and watch her face fall. Her embarrassed reaction tells me so much as her brown eyes grow wide and she hurriedly removes herself from my lap, picking up her shirt and covering her pink bra up with it in the process. Elena turns back to me, angry upon her face.

"Don't you still want me, Stefan!" I can hear her shout.

I close my eyes, inhale so deeply that I can feel every muscle in my body ache because she doesn't know how much I do want her in this moment. How much I want to touch her, hold her hand and kiss her face without being afraid that she won't be there when I wake up. But, this isn't how I pictured it- our perfect little reunion.

"What did you take before you came here? What kind of drug are you on?" My question lingers in the room as she picks up her things and mumbles something about how I can save my lecture, she's heard it enough over the last few weeks from her aunt that she doesn't need to hear it from me too. "I don't need your bullshit. I wanted to come over here and see you, maybe have sex and stay the night. But, you just fucked that up." She shouts, glaring at me while walking towards the door as I extend out my hand and stop her from leaving.

"You can't keep me in here, I am not a caged animal!" She screams, tears welling up into her eyes as I notice the dilation in them and how seething mad she is. I've seen this before, with my old girlfriend in California. I know what this is and my heart shatters as my eyes stare into Elena's and I reply simply with the one thing I already knew. "You're high and strung out on cocaine."

Scoffing she shakes her head and denying it, Elena laughs. "No, I'm not. Now if we aren't going to sleep together, then let me go." She's trembling from her anger as I shake my head. "No, I won't let you leave. You're staying here until you sober up and then I'm taking you to an outpatient rehab clinic, getting you some help."

"Help? I don't want any of your damn help!" Elena says, pursing her lips together. "You want to help me?" She rolls her eyes and pushes away from the door. "No one can help me anymore. I'm a fucking screw up drowning in a black hole and I might as well enjoy the fucking ride. It's not like anyone gives a fuck about what happens to me anyways. I have no family, I have no one." She sobs, falling down to the ground as she cups her hands over her face and sobs into them. I stand there, helplessly looking on.

My heart breaks for her, the beautifully broken girl that I love so much and feel so helpless in knowing how to keep her from falling apart into the darkness that surrounds her. I watch with tears in my eyes as she breaks down in front of me and tells me how she doesn't have anyone anymore in her life that she can trust or rely on. With my arms lowered, I bend down and slowly help her up from the floor, moving her to lay down on the bed and helping place her shirt back on. Covering Elena up with the thin blanket on my hotel room bed, I lay my tired body down beside her and place my hand against her cheek, speaking softly. "You have me and I am not going to leave you. I'm going to help you get better. I promise." She hears me say as her eyes grow heavy and she takes my hand into hers, tucking it underneath her head and the pillow she's laying on Elena murmurs out softly before she begins to drift off to sleep. "I love you so much and I'm sorry. I am so sorry for screwing everything up, I'm sorry for not being the person you deserve."

As the night falls and it gets later, I unravel myself from Elena's grasp on my body and slowly move across the hotel room. It's around 2:30 in the morning and when I turn to see her, she's shaking from what I only can imagine is the start of withdrawal symptoms. Quietly walking through the room, I remember my brother, Matt telling me that he could help her and if I needed anything that I could call him. "Take her to the clinic. But, don't force her to go. If she doesn't want to go. Call me, I'll be there." He had said, the day after I had told him about my visit to Rebekah Mikaelson's and my confirmation that she was indeed my girlfriend's drug supplier.

With shaking hands, I dial his number. After the second ring, he picks up. "Hello?" Matt asks groggily over the phone, exhaling deeply before I speak, I'm trying to figure out why I even called him. But, looking over at Elena as she begins to toss and turn, I know exactly why. My voice is low as to not wake Elena up. "Matt, It's me. You know that I wouldn't be calling this late unless it was important. I need your help. She's a mess and she doesn't want to go to a clinic. I know you've been through this before, that's why mom and dad shipped you off to college because they thought that you'd be better off staying away from your old crowd of friends back home and the drugs you were taking. So, please I am begging you. Tell me what I can do to help save her life before she self destructs completely. I love her, Matt. Help me, please."

* * *

**A/N: To be continued... ;)**

**Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Thanks so much for reading & until next time!**

 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Thirteen **

**-Elijah-**

"How did you both do?" I ask them as Katherine shakes her head, walking into a small 24 hour open diner that's nearly empty. The only people there are my two agents, myself and an older waitress walking around the small establishment, cleaning the tables and moving on to moping the floor. I watch as Katherine walks past one of the tables slamming her fist upon it before I notice that she's angrily glaring at Damon.

"We fucked up!" She screams, hatred in her dark brown eyes as she runs her fingers through her hair, stomping her foot and angrily explaining how close they had been to getting Alaric on a drug charge. But how things went wrong fast.

"What happened?" I ask her, placing my coffee cup down on to the table and watching her eyes lock on to me as she takes a seat down into the booth that I'm sitting in, Damon takes a seat next to me, rubbing his face with his hands in frustration. "He got spooked. He started asking questions and Katherine panicked."

"Oh, for god sakes!" I mutter out as she looks up at me helplessly. "He asked where we were from, and then I think he saw part of my wire sticking out from under my shirt. I must have forgotten to have tucked it back in after I used the bathroom." Katherine explains, looking down at her hands that are now sitting in front of her. "Son of a bitch!" She hisses out under her breath while leaning back into her seat.

"Let me guess. He rushed you both out of there as quickly as he could?" I ask, watching them both nod.

"Fucking hell!" Closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhale deeply and take out my cell phone. "I need to call my brother, figure out how we're going to set up another meeting with someone else."

"Someone else? What?" Katherine asks, her eyes wide.

Helplessly I stare up at her. "I'm sorry, Katherine. You're clearly rusty and I'm just going to need to call in Hayley. I can't have you screwing up a case you've worked years on building." Scoffing, she pushes up from her seat and excuses herself. But, not before pointing at me with a scowled look on her face. "You're taking me off the case? I'm one of the best you have, Elijah!"

"You got distracted." I point out as she shakes her head, licking her bottom lip and looking at me and Damon with tears in her eyes. "This case is all I have had going for me in a long time. You can't take me out of this. Please, Elijah. Please, don't do this."

Damon sits quietly, hands folded in front of him and not saying anything as Katherine exhales deeply before coming back and taking a seat back across from us. "Kol is in a federal prison and I want to clear his name, I want the right guy to take his place. Now, please keep me on this case because I don't have anything else. Please, don't take this away from me. It's all I have." She begs me with brown watery eyes.

"Damon, what do you think?" His head snaps up as he looks at me and then back over at Katherine who's wiping away the falling tears off of her cheeks and trying her best to keep her composure.

He licks his lips, unclasping his hands as he states. "Keep her on the case. Listen, she messed up and it won't happen again. I'll make sure of it. I will make sure that she keeps her head in the game. I promise."

"I don't need a babysitter." Katherine spits out, unclasping a chunk of her hair as she looks up at me with a narrowed gaze.

"I won't be holding your hand, Katherine. Don't worry about it. I'll just make sure that it doesn't happen again and that we figure out how to get back into that damn house. I want him arrested as much as you do. Believe me, Kol deserves to be a free man and not rotting away for a crime he didn't commit. So, we're going to work hard and do everything we can to not screw this up again." Damon tells her in a demanding tone as I watch Katherine relax a little as she stares up at me.

"You're still going to bring your wife into this, aren't you?" She questions.

"Yeah, I am. She's going to be the lookout, coaching both of you on what to say and do once we get you back into that house, undercover." I comment as both Katherine and Damon stare up at me with worry in their eyes. "My wife is an expert. Believe me, you'll both be in good hands. Hayley Mikaelson isn't someone to mess with." I tell them with a beaming smile as I think about how I can't wait to go home and tell her that she's finally going to be brought into a case that she's been interested in ever since it happened.

* * *

**-Elena-**

Free falling, that's what this is. It's what it feels like when you feel yourself losing control of your mind, of your body. I don't even know who I am anymore, I can't recognize her and as much as I try to find her in his eyes, I'm pretty sure that he doesn't even know who I am anymore either. I can see it, the tender and sweet glance of hope diminishes as I roll over on to my side and squint my eyes towards the lamp in the room. "It's too bright, this whole damn room is too bright." He hears me mumble out as I feel his hand glide up and down my back, ruffling up the fabric to my thin lacy black tank top, he gently whispers out my name.

Turning towards him, my eyes open gently and I feel myself losing control by his simple touch. Tears begin to well up into his eyes and his face falls as he whispers back. "I'm not too late, am I?"

I feel my heart breaking in the moment, with the way he's looking at me, so much fear and helplessness. "No." My voice cracks as I lean into him, clutching him against me and sobbing into the fabric of his shirt, telling him how sorry I am that I screwed up, once again!

"It's okay." Stefan says, swallowing the lump forming in his throat as he rubs my back and we both jump back at the sound of someone at the door, a light knock forces my attention away from his eyes and towards it as Stefan kisses my forehead and then he pushes away from me and goes to open the door.

A tall athletic looking figure stands before him, exhaling deeply and shrugging his shoulders back. "Thanks for coming." Stefan tells him, patting his back as I give them both a confused look. Realizing what's happening, I shoot up from the bed and anger fuels my movements. "You called someone. You told them about me and this...Didn't you?" I scream at Stefan, agitated and ready to put up a fight. Stefan tells the tall blond guy to lock the door and stand against it, preventing me from running out of it, that is if I do try to run at any point of this _'intervention.'_

"Elena, this is my step brother, Matt. He's here to help you. I promise that's all he's here for." Stefan tells me in a calmed voice, approaching me with his palms turned towards the ground as he walks to me with slow and cautious steps as if I'm a spooked wild animal that could lose control if he just flinches the wrong way.

"You can't force me to go to some stupid treatment clinic, Stefan. I don't have a problem. You're the one with the damn problem. Not me!" Shaking my head and pausing, I extend out my arms and concentrate the best I can for my hands to stop shaking from the withdrawals that I can feel my body already going through. "I'm not an addict or a junkie. I just need a little bit and I'm fine. I am totally fine." I comment, giving him the best normal smile I have within me as he licks his bottom lip and exhales deeply because he can see it, I'm lying. I am an addict. I love the rush, the high and numbness it makes me feel. I am a cocaine loving junkie.

"Elena, this person isn't you." He tells me as I scoff at his words, argumentatively telling him that he has no idea what he's talking about. "This is exactly who I am, Stefan. A fucked up, lonely, broke hearted girl who can't be loved. Don't you see that?"

"The staff outside won't wait forever, Stefan." Matt chimes in as I glare at him and scoff. "Well, then go tell them that they can leave. I don't need them, blonde. I'm fully aware of my problems."

"You can both go to hell though!" I scream at them as I try to push past Stefan and he places his arms around me, feeling me elbow him in the ribs and kick out, trying to get him off of me. "Get off of me! Let me fucking go!" I shout at him, snarling out my words in an angered succession because I don't need help. Honestly, all I need is another fix. I'm dying for it. My body is aching for it.

"No. I'm not letting go of you. I am not giving up on you!" Stefan hisses into my ear as if he's trying to threaten me, tightening his grasp around me as I feel my body stiffen. It just takes a minute for him to loosen his grasp on me and within that time, I've managed to push myself away from him, screaming at him with mascara stained cheeks and tears streaming down my face as I direct my attention to the one person who my heart knows it loves more than anything. But, my beyond foggy and fucked up mind only see's him as a threat to what I need. An escape. My drugs. My blissful serenity.

"You should give up on me, just like everyone else already has. Leave me! Leave me like John and Jillian did, like my parents. Just leave me alone!" I scream at him. "It's not like I love you anymore anyways. I hate you! I fucking hate you and I can't stand to even look at you!" I'm shaking as I yell out my words, hitting Stefan's chest repeatedly until he grabs a hold of my wrists while I keep pounding away at him. "Stop it! Just stop it, Elena. Please!" He begs me as I crash against him, sobbing. I'm mad at myself, mad at him for leaving me so damn vulnerable and scared after the baby died.

I'm broken and I can't be fixed.

I'm a complete and utter mess of emotions and feelings.

I'm a beautiful disaster.

"That's not going to happen. Even if you don't want to go to treatment right now. You will want to eventually, Elena. I'm not going to force it on you. But, I swear to god that I will not give up on you until you're back to being yourself and the girl that I love. Because-." I cut him off, pushing past him as I glare at both him and Matt once more, telling Matt to move the hell away from the door so that I can leave. "I don't want to hear about how much you miss her. She's dead, she died the night you left and so you can search for her as much as you fucking want. But, you'll never find that girl you made promises too. You, Matt and the staff waiting outside so that you all can save me...You're all wasting your time." My voice cracks and I cross my arms over my chest as I state. "You all can fuck off. I told you, I don't need your help and I don't want to be saved!" Slamming the door to the hotel behind me, I leave them without another word as my trembling body goes into over drive and I feel like if I don't find someone to give me the drugs I need that I'll surely die without them.

* * *

**-Matt-**

"You can't just let her leave like that!" I exclaim, watching Stefan take a seat on the bed, his face buried in his hands. He's not sure of what he should do anymore and the look on his face tells me that she's finally broken his heart into a million pieces.

"This person isn't her. You need to know that. She didn't mean it." I add in with a reassuring tone as he exhales deeply and looks up at me with watery eyes. "All I have ever wanted was to help her get past the things that she's so torn up about, to save her from herself. I thought that me coming out here would be good for her, that we'd be okay. Matt, I can't let her slip through my fingers." His voice breaks as I walk over to him and take a seat beside my brother. Leaning into my shoulder, Stefan clutches on to me as he sobs. "I love her so much and it's like she doesn't realize that she's killing me too. I never wanted to leave her side after the baby died. You know, I even told her that one day if we stayed together that we could try again. One day, when we're older and married..." His voice trails off as he lifts his head up off of my shoulder and I glance into his broken looking expression. "I'm here for you, Stefan. And, I'm not leaving until we get Elena some help. Take it from someone who knows. She's pleading for help inside of that head of hers. She's lashing out at the ones she loves not on purpose. But, because she doesn't know what else to do with her anger. I promise that it'll get better. She'll be okay." I state, pushing up off of the bed as Stefan gives me a confused look and I take out my car keys.

"Let's go." I tell him, watching as he gives me a perplexed look. "Where?" I can hear Stefan ask as I look around the room, noticing that Elena had dropped a card on the ground before she stormed out of it and that it has a phone number and name scribbled on the back of it in dark blue ink.

"Something tells me that I think I know where Elena is getting her drugs from here and it's not from Rebekah Mikaelson anymore." I tell him, flipping the card in between my fingers as Stefan glances up at me and a small smile tugs across my mouth when I conclude. "Because, looking at this card makes me think that some guy named Owen Thompson is her new dealer and I'm pretty sure that's who she went to go see right now. So, how about you and I go pay this Owen guy a little visit?"

* * *

**A/N: Hmm...Something tells me that Owen is bad news and meeting him won't be good for anyone...Including our beloved "beautiful disaster" Elena Gilbert. Buckle up readers, things are about to get a little bumpy! ;)**

**Please feel free to favorite, follow and please leave a comment. Even if your all speculating about what could possibly happen next? hmm...any guesses?**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Dangerous Minds-Chapter 14-**

**-Stefan-**

"Cocaine's a rich man's drug, Matt. You can only afford it if you're fucking rich or some shit like that." I tell him as I watch his hands clutch around the steering wheel and he stays silent for a long time as we drive down darkened roads, sidewalks filled with homeless people and prostitutes begging for a good time. We're not in the good part of town anymore as I look around and notice all the rundown buildings around us and it makes me want to reconsider Elena living with her Aunt Jenna.

"I'm calling Damon. He could pull up information on this guy, find out more about him before Elena gets in too deep. You know, he could help us." Matt suggestions as I snatch the cell phone away from his hand and narrow my eyes on him. "No. We're not involving Damon in this. Do you understand me?"

Matt shakes his head, pulling over to the side of the road as he takes back his cell phone and firmly states. "We don't know where she is! This damn address is some abandoned warehouse in the middle of this fucking city, Jesus Christ. He could be selling her out right now and she could be letting him. She's too far gone and this phone number that he gave us connects to a dead end. We need our brother, end of discussion."

I watch as Matt scrolls through the contacts on his cell phone. He hasn't spoken to Damon in a few days and from the looks of it, calling him now seems to almost be as painful as going to the dentist and getting his teeth pulled out. "Damn it." He mumbles under his breath, looking the doors as the phone rings and then I hear a woman answer. "Hello?" She says as Matt looks over to me and gives me a perplexed look.

Clearing his throat, he leans forward and then back into his seat when he says. "I need to speak with Damon Salvatore. Is he there?"

"Mmm. Damon?" She pauses, probably contemplating her words.

"I'm sorry young man. That name doesn't ring a bell." She replies back after a few minutes of silence and then right before she's about to hang up on us. I watch as Matt struggles to stammer out. "Wait! Special Agent, Damon Salvatore. He's my brother. Listen, I need to speak with him now."

The other end goes dead silent as Matt leans his head against the steering wheel and then I can hear her tell him to hold on for a minute. "Hello? Stefan? Why the hell are you calling me on this phone number? I told you. Emergencies only!" Damon shouts out angrily as Matt lifts his head back up and his face twitches a little. Matt and Damon have never really been that close. However, Matt and I have a different bond and to be honest watching the exchange of words between the two of them makes me pray to god that we just get what we need from Damon instead of it becoming a hostile family feud.

"Well, it's not Stefan and secondly, seems like you've forgotten about your other brother. You know, the stepbrother that grew up with you when my mother married your father..." Matt's voice trails off as I hear Damon scoff. "Matt." He states in an irritated tone.

"What do you want? I'm busy at the moment." Damon tells him, attempting to brush this whole thing off and get back to his job.

"Here, you tell him." Matt suddenly states, hanging the cell phone in his hands to me as I blankly stare at it for a moment and then take it into my hands as I try to explain why we're calling his phone.

"I need your help, Damon. I know I shouldn't have called you on this number. But, I didn't know who else to call and I'm in need of some help for someone. I can't tell you who. But-." The instant I tell him, he knows. I can hear the change in his voice, the drop of hostility as he becomes a little softer when he exhales out deeply. "Your girlfriend, isn't it?" He asks.

Closing my eyes tightly and clutching my hand against the cell phone. I wait for the fallout of all of this, for the lecture and impact of his hatred of my relationship with Elena. Yet, it never comes. Instead, Damon takes a few minutes to collect his thoughts before he says. "We had an agreement, Stefan. You stay away from the girl and keep your damn nose clean and out of trouble!" He reminds me in an unusually calm manner as I nod my head. We did have that agreement and I had made a promise to him. Although, at the moment. Our little agreement is the last thing that's on my mind and saving Elena from herself is my top priority.

"I know." I reply back, swallowing down the hurt in my tone of voice because as much as I have tried to stay away from Elena and as much as she's tried to stay away from me. Damon and I both know that prolonging the distance between the two of us simply won't work and that she needs me as much as I need her.

"I love her, Damon. I love her and that's why I'm calling." I comment as I choke back the tears that are threatening to spill over my cheeks at the thought of seeing her so messed up and wrecked in the hotel room just hours earlier. "But, she's in trouble and I need your help." I'm begging him. Pleading with my brother to save this girl. This girl with her sunken dark brown eyes and matted dark brown hair. A life filled with misfortune and a heart made of gold. This beautiful disaster that I've began to call my own.

He lets out a shaky breath before speaking to me directly. "What do you need me for?" He asks as Matt hands me the card that had fallen out of Elena's jacket after she took off from the hotel.

"I need you to give me as much information as you can about Owen Thompson." I comment, hoping that he can actually help me out before it's too late and Elena's laying in a ditch somewhere with her clothes torn off and her body a mangled mess of bloody bullet holes.

"Owen Thompson?" I hear him asking as I also hear what sounds like typing in the background and then after a few minutes Damon tells me something that makes my heart sink and my blood turn cold. "He's a drug dealer in these parts of Texas. I've heard his name being thrown around a few times on the streets..." Damon inhales sharply as I feel my stomach muscles clench and then he tells me something else that makes my heart nearly stop and my body go numb. "I could lose my job because of you and because of this. But, I am only going to repeat this once and after that. We've never had this discussion. Owen also runs a prostitution ring, Stefan. He disguises it as a night club and has young girls who are sometimes illegally drawn into it and who are underage dancing there as he collects the money they make for his own personal gain"

"A prostitution ring?" I ask him as Damon stays quiet for a long while. "You need to get her out of there. I know that you and Matt can't do it alone. So, I'll call in a favor before I give you both the location of his club and you two potentially get yourselves killed. Listen, I'll handle it and I will have a buddy of mine get Elena out of there." He replies with a stern warning as I close my eyes and try to imaging what this monster could be doing to Elena. It makes sense now though. Why she was so eager to leave, why she seemed so desperate. Owen has her in his grasps and he won't let go until he gets whatever it is that Elena promised him.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" I ask Damon before he hangs up the phone on me.

"Go back to the hotel and wait until I call you. Do you understand me?" He questions as I bite the tip of my tongue and force myself to not argue with him. Damon is right, if Owen's dangerous, the last thing Elena needs is Matt and I going after him to get her out of there.

"What are you going to do, Damon?" He hears me ask while he abruptly cuts me off. "I said that I will handle it either way. It's probably not going to be the way you like it to happen. But, I will handle it and I will get her out of there. Now, go back to the hotel and wait until I call you." He instructs as I hang up the cell phone and tell Matt to turn the car back around, waiting is our only option now if we want to get Elena out of there safely. Waiting is going to feel like an eternity.

* * *

**-Elena-**

It's late in the night and we're somewhere that's hours and miles away from the Austin, Texas city limits. "Are you ready for your first big job, darlin'?" He asks, turning me towards the mirror as I look myself over. I don't even look recognizable to my own eyes. My makeup is darker, my eyes bloodshot and my head is spinning. Although, Owen doesn't seem to care. He just hands me another pill, another chance for me to relax and do whatever he says. It's almost like I've nearly sold my soul to this guy and I'm terrified because all I keep thinking about is how if I do this once for him that he'll give me money for the drugs that my body is aching for and then I'll be forever in debted to him.

"Are you sure that they'll believe me about being 23 years old?" I ask him, trying to cover up my exposed stomach in the sheer long black dress that I'm wearing and the scars from the car accident, my makeup is thicker and darker than usual, nearly caked onto my face. Owen smirks, placing his hands on to my shoulders as he leans in towards my ear and whispers. "They don't give a damn how old you are, Elena. As long as you do whatever these men say and bring in the money that I'm requesting as we had agreed upon. You'll be fine and I'll pay you." He reminds me, licking his lips and telling me to turn around one last time as he gives me another flirtatious glance and a smack on the ass.

My shaking legs carry me towards the entrance of the loud and bustling night club, the smell of smoke and the sound of yelling mixed with the free flowing of alcohol make my stomach churn as I begin to have second thoughts and place my hand onto the already half opened door. Owen promised that once I did this, once I started working for him that he'd get me help and a nice place to live. He promised me a better life. "You'll help me make a better life for myself?" I ask, a small hopeful tone in my voice as he nods his head in my direction and then adds on. "Yeah, I sure will. Now, go out there. Pick a guy from the crowd and make sure that you do a good job tonight. Also, remember to take him back to your fancy little hotel room. Since, I'm fronting the bill for it." He reminds me as I exhale a deep breath, pulling the door to the night club open and walking inside as I glance back at Owen with a weary look. I'm scared and my mind is racing with doubts. Although, I need the money and he's my only source for it now. Besides, once I've done this, I'll never be the same again. I inhale sharply. Thinking about it as I stand there and poke my head into the club. The music is loud, the room is darkened and I can tell this isn't anywhere that a young girl like myself should be. Although, at this very moment...There is no looking back and my mind is only set on one goal. Get in, get out and get my fix.

* * *

It must be the reaction to the cocaine I snorted before leaving Owen's side a little over 20 minutes ago. But I can tell you one thing and it's this. I'm feeling pretty damn good as the hours tick by and at the moment as my body sways to the music while I wedge my way in between two men who are sitting on a red leather sofa. One of them is getting pretty flirty with a long haired red head and the other keeps looking down at his cell phone, almost as if he's not interested in being at this club at all. That's my way in, I think to myself. One guy, a few good tricks, some cash and then I'll be happily on my way to the next high and a decent start to making some money.

As if it's that easy, a part of me thinks as I walk over to him slowly, hiking up my short black dress that's molded to my body, showing off all the right curves and every single assets that I know I can use to make him weak. I shake the negative thoughts away and focus in on him. He's got dark brown hair, these piercing blue-grey eyes that finally look up at me after a while. He's older, got to be at least 26 years old as he readjusts the red and white stripped tie around his neck, loosening it a little bit when I slide my body next to his and place my hand against the back of the leather seating.

"You seem pretty bored tonight. What's your name?" I comment with a nonchalant tone, watching his hungry eyes scanning my body up and down as he smirks a little and finally places his cell phone into his pocket after making one finally text message to someone.

"I'm Malachai and I got dragged here with this fool. So, what's yours?" He asks with a small smile that's curling the corners of his lips and making his pearly white teeth show as he points to his friend. He smells like a musky men's cologne, looks like he has money, a well established career and from the way his hands are shaking, I'm assuming that he's just as nervous as I am. Although, I can't allow him to see it. My fear, this big dark whole I've dug myself into as my agreement with Owen, can't be part of this little plan if I want to play my cards right tonight.

My hand lifts up as my fingers dance around the collar of his black colored dress shirt and his eyes meet mine as I lean towards him and I ask softly. "I'm Elena. You know, Malachai, if you're so bored. How about we get out of here do something a little bit more fun?"

He laughs a little, leaning in towards me and running his calloused fingertips over my soft olive colored thighs. My heart beat quickens, my mind clears and the simple touch of his hand sets my body a blaze. I'm mesmerized by him and the thought of everything he could do to me the moment I take him back to my hotel room as instructed by Owen. This guy could be the one for the night. I think to myself as I lean into him and leave a quick kiss upon his neck, licking his skin and getting closer towards his ear as I whisper into it as he moans out in a pleasurable tone. "I have a hotel key and a room, not too far from here. We could continue this conversation there, if you want. I mean, we don't have to do much talking either. That's fine by me." I comment in a seductive tone as I get up and watch him do the same. He links his arm around my waistline and glances back at his friend who's finally come back up for some air and from making out with the red head who was all over him. I feel him tug me out of the building, out the back way of the club and right when I think that I've got him eating out of the palm of my hands and this is going to be an easy first job for me. He turns the tables on me fairly quickly and I know the moment it happens that I've screwed up.

My body hits the red brick building and my chest is pressed up against the moistened bricks as he suddenly says in a stern tone of voice. "I'm sorry, gorgeous. But, your little friends in there are about to go away for a very long time." He tells me as he spins me back around and holds me against the wall, pulling out a pair of handcuffs and carrying a different kind of look in his eyes. One of success and cockiness. "What the hell are you talking about?" I shout out at him.

That's when I hear it in the background, the cop cars and I watch as people begin to scramble out of the building that was filled with a ton of Owen's friends and a bunch of other girls like myself. My eyes begin to water while I lean my head back against the bricks and he handcuffs my hands and states with a saddened look. "My name isn't Malachai, Elena. Let's just keep this between us. Fun little fact, a lot of people I know call me officer Kai Parker or as some like to say undercover DEA agent Parker. I'm sorry sweetheart. But, you're under arrest for the possession of a controlled substance. You'll need to come with me, miss Gilbert." He informs me as I start yelling at him, looking back at the group of drug enforcement officers who are pulling massive amounts of drugs and people from the building. My eyes scan the front of the building as Kai places his hand on top of my head and shoves me into the backseat of his squad car. "I'm going to find that little bitch and I'm going to kill her! I swear to god that this isn't over!" I hear a familiar voice shout out as I look up through the blurry and rain covered window to see Owen being pushed up against another police car while they handcuff him and read him his rights. Then my ears hear a ringing tone as Kai places a cell phone to his ear and all he says in a low voice is the words. "It's done."

* * *

**-Damon-**

"Under arrest?" He screams at me through the cell phone in my hands when I call him back and try to explain that the idea of arresting Elena was the only way to get her out of there alive and maybe it could eventually help her get clean from her addiction.

"It was the only way, Stefan. I'm sorry." I comment calmly as my brother swears to never speak to me again, that he won't forgive me for what I've just done.

"She'll have it on her record, Damon! A convict and an ex-drug addict. Who is going to hire Elena for a job when she finally pulls her life back together? Who is going to allow her to live in an apartment when she moves in with me?" He questions as I pause at the last of his words. "Moves in with you? Stefan, she needs extensive drug treatment right now. The last thing this girl needs is a boyfriend who thinks he can save her himself. Because, newsflash little brother. It's not going to happen. Now, I've been in contact with my buddy and he's going to interview Elena tonight, allow her to sober up in jail. Then, we're going to get her the help she needs. A treatment facility in Austin. So, that when she is allowed visitors, you can see her. Which will probably mean that you'll be staying in Texas for a while longer." I tell him sternly as I hear him exhale. He sounds nearly defeated when he speaks next.

"Okay." Is all that Stefan tells me, not even thanking me because I know he's still angry as hell with what I've done. But, I don't push it. Instead, I tell him that I need to get some sleep because I'm still working on this case and I won't be home for a while longer. "I need to go call Bonnie. I'll see you both once this is over." I tell him before hanging up the cell phone and tossing it on the bed beside me.

"What the hell happened?" Katherine asks, stepping out of the bathroom as she begins drying her wet hair with the yellow colored towel in her hands.

"Family drama. I'll explain, eventually." I tell her, lifting my legs up on to the bed and glancing up at the ceiling, trying to wrap my mind around the changes in our own case at the moment.

"Alaric's going to deny everything we have against him once we get him into custody." I comment quietly as Katherine follows my movements and she too lays down on her own bed, placing her hands on to her stomach as she closes her eyes and softly begins to cry. "I know." She says in a broken tone, turning towards me and giving me the saddest glance I think I've ever seen someone give me in their life. "I just want justice for Tatia and I just want Kol back. Please, Damon. I know that he's going to try and deny things and that we might never be able to get him exactly where we want him. But, we need to try. We need to try and put him behind bars where he belongs before he targets someone else. Before he kills another girl and ruins another family's life." Katherine utters out, wiping away her tears and moving slowly up from the bed as I turn towards her and nod.

"Alright. We'll try. But, I need you to do something for me." I comment as Katherine sniffles back her tears and I lock my eyes on to hers as she asks what it is that I'm talking about. I pinch the bridge of my nose and hesitate for a moment because I know how hard this is going to be for her. Although, to get us moving in the right direction and to catch Hayley up to speed on the case. Katherine is our only hope at the moment. "I need you and Hayley to go see Kol in prison."

"What?" Katherine spits out, giving me a perplexed look as I attempt to further explain my rational thoughts.

"Hayley knows a lot about this case, I don't doubt that. But, I thought it would be good for her to go talk to Kol about how he got in there to begin with. And, I thought it would be good for you to go see him again, since it's been a few months." I tell her as Katherine's eyes glisten and that's when I notice it. As much as she says that she still loves me or whatever this thing is between us. She loves her ex-husband a hell of a lot more.

"But, what about you? Don't you still need me here to help with Alaric?" She asks as I bite my lower lip. It's going to take time, after the two of us screwing up in the way we did. Our next move needs to be well constructed and drawn out so that we don't scare him off for good.

"I do. But, Elijah and I need to come up with a new plan. So, when Hayley gets here in the morning. That's what we're going to go do. You'll go back to Mystic Falls with her and Elijah will call you when he needs you back here." I explain as Katherine pushes her body back into the mattress and looks up at the ceiling for a moment again before I hear her state in a soft tone. "At this point, I'd do anything to see him again." She tells me, a few tears trickling down her cheeks when she lifts her head back up and nods, asking softly when she can start packing her things to go and meet with Hayley in the morning.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I really don't know what else to say except for...Elena being under arrest is just the start of many things to come...Also, we finally get to meet Kol Mikaelson in the next chapter! yey! ;)**

**Please feel free to leave me a comment. They keep me going and I love knowing what you all think about these updates.**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**A/N: Previously on Dangerous Minds...**

**_Elena got arrested by Kai Parker, Damon sent Stefan and Matt back to the hotel to wait for him to call them regarding Elena and Katherine decides that it's finally time to go see her ex-husband, Kol._ **

**Hope you all enjoy it! Here's chapter 15.**

**Follow me on twitter at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Fifteen **

**-Elena-**

"Let me fucking go! Please!" I'm sobbing and shaking almost violently as Kai drives towards a police station in the city, all I keep replaying in my head is the things I should have noticed and the fact that once Owen finds out that his little plot was foiled because of me, I am going to be dead. I need to get out of here, I need to disappear. Disappear? Ha, how the hell is that going to happen now that I'm handcuffed and in the back of this damn police cruiser. I am so fucking screwed!

"Let you go? Yeah, I don't really think so." Kai comments in a cocky tone, driving his car into what I assume is their intake garage. I watch behind me as the garage door slowly closes, silently watching what could have been my escape totally disintegrate in front of my eyes.

"You're under arrest. Remember?" He asks with a shake of his head, dragging me into the building as we stop near the intake desk. "Elena Gilbert, 18 years old, arrested for possession." He tells the woman as she buzzes a door open and Kai places me into a room with three glass windows and a bench. "I'm going to have Officer Rodriguez strip search you to make sure that you don't have any thing else that could harm us within the facility." He comments, leaving the room and allowing his colleague to take me into a closed bathroom stall area as she watches me undress.

My hands are shaking as I begin to take off my bra. But, she stops me quickly. "Underwear and bra stay on. Everything else can go in this bag and I'll get one of our lovely outfits. Bright Orange." She smirks a little, turning her back away from me as my mind begins to wonder. How in the hell did I get here? I shouldn't be in the county jail, awaiting a decision if I'm going to be staying or leaving. I should be planning which colleges I want to go to. I should be living a happy and fulfilled life like every young girl my age. Not being addicted to drugs and strung out. But, I can't stop the rush, the feeling that overcomes my body as the drugs consume me and I forget about all the bad things that have ever happened to me. It's euphoric and it feels like flying. I'd do anything to feel that high again...Anything.

"Gilbert. You're a number now. Welcome to the county jail." The officer tells me, tossing me the jumpsuit as I change into it with hesitation, my mind flooding with every single bad thing I've done so far in my life. Everything bad that I've done to deserve this.

* * *

"Tell me what happened tonight?" The dark haired police officer who had forced me into this hell hole to begin with asks, tapping his fingers against the metal table that my own fingers are tapping against too, the metal of my handcuffs around my wrists making a clanking noise when he looks up at me again with a smirk. "So, are you going to talk?"

My voice shakes, my eyes darting around the room as I hope to God that he can't see the fear in my dark brown eyes. "I didn't do anything. I was lured into this." I proclaim my innocence, watching as he leans back into his seat and stares blankly at me, scoffing.

"You were caught with enough coke to overdose on. A little less than a gram. And, you're telling me that you were lured into this not based on your own will?" He leans forward, folding his arms across one another as I watch his eyebrow lift and then lower. Clearing his throat, he shakes his head as he tries to clearly explain. "Elena, you're 18 years old and this could ruin your life. Being an addict can and will destroy you. Now, please. Tell me what I can do right now to help you."

Hissing out my words and angrily moving my wrists against the steel table. I stare directly at his eyes and nearly snarl out. "You can go to hell. To be honest, you can all go to hell! I don't need your damn help and I surely don't want it! All of you assholes keep thinking that you can fix me and help me! Well, you know what? You can't!" Narrowing my eyes, he gets up without another word and walks out of the room with my file underneath his arm. Moments tick by, minutes pass as I sit there and lean back into my chair, closing my eyes while feeling a moistened wet tear drop travel down my left cheek. I'm exhausted, fidgeting from the drug use and my mind is racing with irrational thoughts. All of it combined though seems to come to a drastic halt when the door opens back up again and my eyes follow the sound of the door clicking behind whoever just entered.

"Hello, Elena." She's got these saddened eyes while she's holding back more tears as she places her hand across her stomach and I notice that same old shiny and expensive diamond ring on her hand.

"Jillian?" That's all I can say, I'm frozen in place and time as I think about the fact that's it's been months since I've seen her last, remembering how she and John had been wanting to start a family. My mind remembers that she had just found out she was pregnant before they had sent me away to live with Jenna and as I glance down at her now flat stomach, my heart breaks. The baby, I think...Did she lose her baby just as I had lost mine?

She nervously tugs down on her cream colored blouse as she takes a seat and leans toward me, reaching for my hands. "It's okay. The pregnancy didn't go as planned. Turns out that it was negative. But, your Uncle and I are going to try again someday soon." She tells me, looking away for a moment as I feel Jillian place her hand on to my cheek, wiping away my falling tears that have increased since she walked through the door. I've missed her. Even though I wouldn't admit it to anymore nor would anyone possibly believe me if I told them. The truth is that Uncle John and Jillian have always reminded me of my parents, they were the closest to them and to me.

My voice shakes as I place my own hand on top of hers and I choke out with a truly honest tone. "I've missed you, Jillian." She smiles at me through watery eyes and a heartbroken stare. "Elena, sweetheart. You shouldn't be in here. This isn't you." She babbles on as her eyebrows scrunch together, and I think about her words. I know that I shouldn't be in here. Although, I feel like I deserve being in here more than anything because I should be punished for all the things I've done.

I'm like a storm, I can't be contained.

I nod, not really making any eye contact with her. Instead, I'm looking at her shaking hands, noticing the age lines on them as she continues to talk and the dark circles underneath her eyes. I've caused them mostly, my late nights out, my constant rebellion. I've caused her life so much stress and hurt, more than anyone could ever imagine and it was all because I had thought that hurting them, would be easier than making me remember the death of my parents. "Honey, you need help. You need treatment." She encourages firmly, shaking me out of my thoughts.

The touch of her hand. The soft and warm, comforting feeling of my aunts hand against my cold skin makes my body shiver as my eyes finally lift up towards her gaze and that's when I see it. All the love, the hurt and the pain that I've placed everyone through. Every single one of them has looked at me like that within the past few months. But, it isn't until my eyes meet Jillian's that I don't realize how much damage I've done. It hits hard, like a baseball bat shattering glass. It hurts like hell too. It doesn't take very long for me to feel them, the trickling of my tears as they escape down my cheeks and slip into my mouth. I open my mouth, gripping on to her hands as I whimper like a small puppy crying out for attention. "I don't want to be here. Please, I want to go back home to Mystic Falls. I want to be okay again. Please, aunt Jillian. I miss you and uncle John and I'm sorry. I am so sorry for everything. I swear that I'll be good again. Please, I promise that I'll be good again."

* * *

** Katherine **

"Hayley Mikaelson." I comment, walking towards her briskly in the middle of the outdoor passageway as the young brunette smiles up at me. She's wearing a white blouse and dark blue jeans, her badge around her neck as she cocks her head to the side. "Katherine. How was the flight?" I can tell that she's not really sure of what else to add on as I extend out my hand and quickly correct her. " It was fine, a little bumpy. But, I'm here. You know, we could have been sister in laws. I mean, I still call myself Katherine Mikaelson, on occasion." She hears me laugh out nervously as we begin to walk down this long corridor that leads to the entrance of the correctional facility where Kol is being held.

"How long has it been since you've seen him?" She asks as I gulp down my nervousness and fear, looking back at the massive red brick building, we stand outside of the prison. The barb wiring makes my stomach churn and my head hurt. It's been about a year, an agonizing and torturous year because the last time I was here, Kol was set to be paroled on good behavior and it didn't happen. He's been in this hell hole of a prison for a total of four years and every time I think about it, my heart breaks for him. Clearing my throat, I glance down at my perfectly red painted toe nails as I comment softly. "It's been a year. He was supposed to be released on my birthday. We had looked forward to it. But, things got messed up because he was attacked by another inmate. The guy nearly killed him and Kol stabbed him in self defense. At the time, the judge was so fed up that he gave Kol the sentencing we had all been dreading. Life in prison without parole. I didn't believe him that he didn't kill her. I was so mad, so angry at him for everything that I refused to see him for a very long time, until I finally came around to the idea that he didn't do it. That he wasn't the one who killed her and that it was someone else. Although, by then it was already too late for him and he was already too deep into the prison system."

Hayley's eyes grow wide as she looks over at me and moves back, allowing me a little space or maybe even the chance to keep talking. "Did he try calling you. Did you try keeping in contact at all?" She asks me as I exhale deeply. The love I had been suppressing for Kol, I had tried to transfer on to Damon Salvatore a few times during this assignment we've been on. Which, I now know was wrong of me to do because even though Damon and I did have some spark, way back when. He's married to a wonderful woman now and my heart still belongs to a man that I've vowed to do anything to set free. I had been denying it for so long that I was blinded by irrational thoughts when I tried making a move on Damon. So, as I stand there and look back at the prison behind us. I realize it now, I know that deep down in my heart that I still love Kol and the truth is that I've never really stopped loving him.

"He called a few times in the last four years. According the prison records, I've been his only phone call over the last four years. Every time he's called my house, Kol's begged me to come here so that we could talk things over. He's promised and swore that he wasn't involved." I reply back, straightening my badge against my chest and walking past Hayley, because I'm done talking. I need to see him and the urge of it is pulling me closer and closer towards the guarded entrance. "Does he know we're coming?" I ask softly, turning back towards Hayley as she nods her head and states. "He does, he knows."

"Good." Is all I reply, walking past the guards and allowing them to buzz me in as I place my back down on to one of their x-ray machines and my mind begins to wonder with the thoughts of what he must look like now.

* * *

**Kol**

" _Put your hands on the ground!" They scream out, knocking down the front door of our home as I look up at them with terrified eyes and realize that it's a little past midnight. The taste of Katherine's whiskey stained lips is still_ _against my mouth as I lick my bottom lip and exhale deeply. Tonight was supposed to be special, it was supposed to be the night we talked things over and celebrated the two of us with an intimate night of trying to get back together for the 2_ _nd_ _time. Although, things have clearly taken a wrong turn._

" _What the hell is going on? Kol!" I can hear her shout out, tightening her dark colored gray robe around her thin framed waistline_ _as she rushes down the stairs and clutches her hands against the banister. "It's alright, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. It's going to be just fine. They've clearly made a mistake." Attempting to reassure her as my voice strains and I look up at her, I can see the fear and sudden anger in her eyes as she watches and overhears one of the Mystic Falls team of FBI agents announce the reason for my sudden arrest and visit. "Kol Mikealson. You're under arrest for the kidnapping, assault and murder of Tatia Petrova."_

" _What? No, no! What did you do, Kol! What have you done!_ _"_ _Katherine screams, quickening her steps, standing in front of one of the officers as she tells them that she's an agent in training, that they've made a mistake and I had been with her over the last few days since she's been back home. "Please, don't do this. Please! Don't take him away from me!_ _"_ _Her words are drowning out as they throw me down to the ground, pressing my face hard against the cold wooden floor. My face turns just in time for me to look up at Katherine's_ _tear stained cheeks while she sobs while begging them to stop. "He didn't do this. Please, Kol_ _isn't involved with this, I know he isn't._ _"_

The memory of Katherine's blood shot and tearful eyes make my stomach churn as I lay on the cot in my cell. It's coming up on the four year anniversary since the murder of Tatia and I had lost everything since I've been rotting away, because the team I had once trained, with had come to believe that one of their own was involved with her abduction and kidnapping. "They convicted an innocent man and they've gotten it all wrong. You aren't to blame for any of this." My older brother, Klaus had told me just three years earlier when he had come to one of our many visits as he leaned over and added on. "I'm going to fix this, Kol. I don't care how much energy I put into this. I swear that we're going to get you out of this mess and back to Katherine. Back to the family you two-." Lifting my hand up flatly, I slammed it against the table with an angry motion and narrowed my eyes at my brother while I spat out. "There is no family anymore. No dreams of living a life with her. It's all been taken away, there isn't anything that can be done about it because she's come to believe that I'm guilty of killing someone beloved to her. Who can forgive that? No one."

"Mikaelson!" I can hear the guard call out, forcing me to push up from my bed and lean against the metal bars of my cell. "Yup!" I exclaim back, hearing his keys jingle against the belt of his side pockets while he takes them out and looks up at me. "You've got a visitor."

"I hope she's pretty." I comment with a humorous tone as he grins at me, nodding his head. Frank tells me to step back so that he can place the cuffs around my wrists and ankles. "Yeah, she sure is." He says with a quiet pause. "It's your ex-wife. Surprisingly, she's here." He adds on, focusing on my eyes that have gotten as big as saucers. The moment he says those words, my mind begins reeling and all I can picture in my mind is Katherine's tear stained cheeks, the night that the FBI agents dragged me out of our home and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. "Did she say what she wanted?" I ask softly as Frank leads me towards the visiting area, laughing a little. "You're going to need to ask her that." He tells me as I close my eyes and mentally prepare myself for my reunion with the one person I've been dying to see since I broke her heart and changed both of our lives.

* * *

I can feel her eyes on me as Frank unlocks the shackles and releases me out into the visiting area. I'm rubbing my wrists when I hear it, a small whimpering noise escaping from her mouth and when I look up, all I can see is a flash of her dark brown curly hair as she runs towards me and wraps her arms around my neck. "Kol, I'm so sorry!" She exclaims, not wanting to let me go as I place my hands against her hips and inhale her scent. God, I've missed her. I've missed every single thing about this woman as I hold her tightly against my chest, not wanting to ever let her go again. "Katherine, it's okay. Baby, it's okay." I tell her, placing my rough hand against her hair and stroking it down with my fingers as I hold on to her as tightly as I can.

The sound of another woman clearing her throat, breaks Katherine and I apart. "Mr. Mikaelson." She says my last name with a sharp tone, approaching me with her hand stretched out and making it known that I can see the badge around her neck. "I know who you are. You're Elijah's new wife and a police officer yourself." I comment, holding tightly on to Katherine's hand while we walk over to the steel tables and take a seat across from Hayley. "Well, since you've me last. I was a cop. Now, I'm a detective for the FBI. And, I'm still happily married to your brother." She clarifies softly, taking a seat the same time that Katherine and I do.

"Hayley, just tell me what you're doing here. Did Klaus or Elijah send you?" I ask her with a flat tone as she brushes a few strands of her dark brown hair off of her shoulder and glances up at me intently. "They both did. We're here on business, Kol. It's not a personal visit. I'm just going to make that clear right now and cut to the chase. Katherine's here to say that she forgives you." She says as I glance down at my hands that are intertwined with Katherine's. She turns towards me, placing her soft and warm tan skinned hand against my cheek as she locks her dark brown eyes on my gaze and says with an informative tone. "Kol. We need your help to clear your name…." Katherine's voice is broken as it trails off. I interrupt her quickly. "That's not going to do anything, Katherine. I've now got a possible life sentence hanging over my head and there is no evidence to prove me innocent." Shaking her head, she tosses a drained look towards Hayley who is already in the middle of taking out a yellow colored folder with the name "Saltzman, Alaric" on the side of it in permanent black marker. "That's where you're wrong." Hayley states, sliding over the folder to Katherine as she opens it up and places her hand against the picture of a man in his mid-fourties in a gray hoodie and a smirk that makes my stomach form knots inside of it.

"Who's this?" I ask them both as Hayley leans towards me with a small smile. "Kol, this is the man who ruined your life and we're going to work together to ruin his. He deserves to be in here, not you."

"Kol, Alaric Saltzman is the guy who killed my cousin." Katherine tells me in a tone that pains me as she looks away for a moment and I lift my hand up, cupping her left cheek, stroking it with my thumb.

"I'm sorry, love. But, how do you know?" I ask her when she finally collects her thoughts and looks back over to me.

"We're building a case against him right now. Piecing things together that point to him being involved with Tatia. This case could rock this whole town, all these years later. It could change a bunch of lives, including ours." Pausing for a second, Katherine closes her eyes as she turns her body fully to me and places both of her hands against my cheeks, forcing me to look up at her tearful gaze. "I've never stopped loving you. Baby, you need to know that I know you didn't do this. The time I was so mad at you was when I was listening to everyone else blame you for it. But, I know you didn't do this and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that the man responsible for Tatia's death is behind bars and that you're free." The tears keep flowing down her cheeks while she leans into me and captures my lips against her own, kissing me softly just as one of the guards comes over and tells us that we're too close to each other and that we need to back away. But, Katherine doesn't care. She stares into my eyes as I lift my hand up, wiping away her tears while listening to her make me a promise that she intends to keep. "We're going to get you out of here. I promise that I'm never going to stop fighting for you. And, when you get out of here. We're going to get your life back. Everything you lost, I'm going to help you get it back."

* * *

** Stefan **

"Stefan!" I hear my name being yelled out from the bedroom as I walk into it and notice Damon standing just feet away from our hotel's door entrance.

"How dare you!" Matt holds me back the moment I go charging towards my brother with a full on rage that I've been building up until this very moment. He screwed me over last night and I'm seething. "You ruined her damn life!" I scream out at him, glaring at Matt to let me go as Damon steps inside and closes the door behind him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you what's going on. But, I needed to make sure that Elena was sobered up this morning and she is. Which, is a good thing..." His voice trails off as I ring my fingers together until I hear my bones snap because it's taking everything in me to not strangle Damon.

"You waited all night to fucking tell me that my girlfriend is in jail and-." Damon cuts me off with a defensive tone, lifting his hands up in the air as if to signal a sort of defeat.

"I waited all night because I've been too fucking busy to get here. Now, excuse me if I hurt your damn feelings because I didn't tell you exactly what was happening last night when I told you to go back to the hotel and stop trying to be some god damn hero who could have gotten himself killed!" Damon inhales deeply through clenched teeth, pinching the bridge of his nose before he continues on with. "Look, I wanted you to cool down and really have time to process the things I told you last night when your sweet and loveable Elena got arrested."

"I need to see her." Damon shakes his head, rolling his eyes at me as he lets out a laugh. "It isn't that easy, little brother. You can't just go see your junkie girlfriend whenever you want. Stefan, she needs help and I sent in someone who I think could help her. Besides, at this very moment. Let's be honest, we both know that your help just wouldn't be enough."

"Who?" Damon hears me question as I ask with a demanding tone. "Who did you send to the jail to see her!" I'm spitting out my words, clenching my fists together as he narrows his eyes on me when he states. "Her aunt, Jillian."

"Elena hates that woman." Damon laughs, shaking his head in disagreement.

"That's where you're wrong, Stefan. Jillian was the only person that was able to convince a very strung out and pissed off Elena Gilbert that she needed help and some time in rehab. She's leaving for the Health and Wellness center in Mystic Falls this afternoon." He explains briskly as I gawk at him.

"What?" Damon hears me ask as he takes a step towards me and places both of his hands firmly onto my shoulders. "Your girlfriend is going back to Virginia where she's going to be safe and I'm sending you back home too. You don't need to be here, Stefan." He says with an honest tone as I lock my eyes on to his and swallow the lump in my throat. "So, what happens if Elena starts hanging around Rebekah Mikealson again? What's going to happen if this Owen guy tracks her down in Mystic Falls because she screwed him over? What's going to happen then? Who is going to keep her safe and protect her!"

Damon tilts his head to the side, smiling a little as he clarifies his plan. "Elena is going to be sent to a very well known and helpful rehab center for counseling, detox and some therapy for a few months. They said the whole treatment and recovery will last around a few months. But, it will eventually become an outpatient program sort of deal and because of that. I've decided that Bonnie and I, you and Elena will all be living together for sometime until you and Elena can move out and afford a place of your own. So, we're going to be one big happy family!"

Shaking my head in disbelief, I stare at Damon for a long time. Attempting to process his words and the plan that he sounds so set on. "Are you sure Bonnie's okay with this?" I question as Damon nods his head. "She knows how much Elena means to you and she said that she'll do whatever she can to help out. If it means that you'll both be staying with us for a few weeks after Elena gets out. Then, that's fine." I take a step back from Damon as he takes one foreword and digs his fingers into my shoulders, never once breaking eye contact as his smile fades away and his facial expression changes from nice older brother to a very darkened hard ass FBI agent stare.

"Just because my wife and I are going to be allowing you and your little girlfriend to be under our roof. That won't mean that there won't be any rules to follow in our house. Because, there will be and I swear to god that if either of you screw this up and make a mistake. One mistake at all. There will be consequences and I can tell you right now that neither you or her will like them." He licks the bottom of his lip, making a popping noise with his mouth as he releases the death grip from my body while backing away as he adds on. "Do we have an understanding, little brother?"

Nodding, Damon and I stare at each other while he steps back from me completely. I look over at Matt who's already began packing his things so that he can head back to school himself since he's already figured that I won't need him anymore. Damon pauses near the door, placing his hand against the door frame while staring back at me one last time when he adds in before leaving the room. "Better start packing, Stefan. You've got a long few days ahead of you and I'm pretty sure that Bonnie will be thrilled to have you back."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? What did you all think about the introduction of Kol into the story and the little flashback scene with him and Katherine? Also, do you Stefan and Elena's relationship is going to change as she goes into rehab?**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Sixteen**

**-Damon-**

"Bon! Sweetheart!" I shout out, opening the door to the apartment as the cool breeze hits my face and Stefan trails behind me while tightly gripping on to a nervous Elena's hand. It's been a little over four weeks since she was released from jail and then sent to the rehab clinic. The staff there had said that they were letting her go earlier because they didn't see a need for her to be in the inpatient program for very long and instead suggested that she become an outpatient that lives with my wife and I. As long as we kept a close eye on her progress and made sure that she would go to every single counseling session that was required of her.

Stefan anxiously gives me a sideways glance as he drops Elena's hand and whispers that everything is going to be just fine. "In here, my super sexy agent!" Bonnie finally shouts out, extending out her bare leg from our bedroom door. I can hear my brother snickering because it's quickly clear to me that my wife hasn't gotten the memo that when I said I'd be coming home earlier than I had expected from this last assignment, it didn't mean that I was going to be visiting all alone.

"Ugh, god! I have missed you…." Bonnie appears, her smiling facial expression quickly turning to utter embarrassment as she shrieks out my name and tightens the robe she has in her arms around her almost bare naked body. She's wearing a new sexy push up red bra with lace matching undies and my heart wants to explode.

"Jesus Christ, Damon! You should have told me we had company. Oh my god!" Bonnie embarrassingly states, turning around from me and rushing back into our bedroom as I follow quickly behind her, glancing to Stefan who's finally sat down awkwardly on our couch and is still holding on to a very quiet Elena's hand.

"Babe, I can explain-." The minute the door behind me shuts, Bonnie's eyes dart around the room, her arms flailing as to emphasize how pissed off she is because of our unexpected house guests.

"You can explain? I thought you said that Stefan was in Texas with the girl! What the hell is he doing sitting in our living room? Dear god, Damon. You could have called to tell me! I've been out of the loop for weeks regarding you, this job you're doing and your brother. Damn it!" She exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest and that's when I know that I've clearly killed the romantic atmosphere that she had been trying to create.

"Listen to me, Bonnie. She's just gotten out of rehab and she's going to be living with us. I told you that, remember?" I ask her, trying to calm the situation down a bit as she exhales heavily while nodding. I specifically remember telling her that my brother and Elena were going to be staying with us. Although, I had obviously forgotten to say when.

"How long?" Bonnie asks, skipping right to the more detailed information that I know she's curious about.

Shrugging my shoulders back and reaching my arms towards her, Bonnie slowly makes her way to me, sitting on my lap. I know that she's pissed off at me for a multitude of reasons. The case regarding Alaric Saltzman has taken up a majority of my time away from her and I really haven't been in close contact because of it. It's been nearly a month and a few weeks since I've been home and everything since I left has been a constant stream of drama and uncertainty.

"Just until they can get back on their feet. Look, the longest will be like a month or two. Elena's required by her counselor and prohibition officer to find a job and keep her nose clean. As well as my brother. They just need to make enough money for at least two months of their first time rent for an apartment and I promised to make the security deposit for them, including all the other fees. I promise that they'll be out soon." I comment, explaining my logic as she leans her head against me and smiles a little. I know that she can't stay mad at me for long, even under such shitty circumstances.

"Okay." Is all she manages to say while leaning her head against my shoulder and wrapping her arms around me. "I've missed you so much." She breathes against my neck, holding me close.

"I've missed you too, baby. I'm so sorry that I've been away for so long." I tell her, kissing the curve of her neck as I feel her reposition herself against my body, pressing me down into the mattress and laying her hand flatly against my chest. Bonnie's long dark hair tickles the nape of my neck as I smile at her, lifting my hand and cupping her cheek. "I would love to continue this with you right now. But, as a small reminder. We have two very highly emotional teenagers sitting alone together in our living room and as a rule of our house. I made sure to tell my brother that he and Elena can't share a bed together while they're living under my roof. She's going to be in the guest room across from Stefan's temporary room." She hears me state, rolling off of me and grumbling under her breath at how inconvenient this all is because it'll be cutting into our _trying to make a baby_ plans.

"The fertility doctor said that if we tried for a baby while I'm ovulating that our chances of one could be higher this time around...That is if we keep it on a schedule." She tells me, rolling off the bed in a slightly tensed up way and tilting her head to the side as she points to the closed door. "I don't really give a shit that your little brother and his girlfriend are alone in our living room, Damon. He's already tried to get her pregnant once. And, we all know how that ended. Because that girl in there is completely irresponsible!" Rubbing her face with her hands, Bonnie quickly regrets her hurtful words. She's tried and defeated. I can see the desperation for a child in her eyes slowly fade away as she whispers. "My god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

I take my left hand, moving closer towards her as my fingertips make small circles against her back, calming her down while I lean against her, pulling her close. "I know that you didn't. But, I promise that we'll have our own baby one day, Bon. I just know that we will." I reassure her fears, kissing her cheek before getting up to go check on Stefan and Elena.

"Things are going to get easier, Bonnie. I promise." She hears me say, glancing up at me with watery eyes while nodding and telling me that she just needs a few minutes alone before collecting her thoughts and coming out to say hello.

"Okay." I say, opening the bedroom door and walking out into the living room where Stefan and Elena are both seated together, watching what looks like to be old reruns of Cold Case on the Television set as her head leans against his shoulder.

* * *

**-Jenna-**

"When in the hell are they going to leave us alone to live our lives?" He mumbles out, hearing the bedroom door open as I step inside, crossing my arms over my chest while I take a seat near him on the bed, holding a piece of clothing that Elena had left behind. My eyes are bloodshot from crying.

"Babe." My voice cracks, turning towards him as I drop Elena's jacket from my hands and trace my fingers against the fabric. "This is all going to take some time. Alaric, please calm down."

"It's going to take some time? Damn it, Jenna! I didn't do anything!" He snarls angrily, pacing the floor as I watch him run his hands through his hair. The last few weeks have been hell and Alaric's been on edge with nearly everything. Since Elena went back to Mystic Falls and he realized that someone's been watching him, his anxiety level has grown tremendously and I'm starting to get worried because of his mood swings and for the fact that he's been lashing out at me.

"I know that you didn't." My voice is lower as I try my best to make sure he knows I'm on his side.

"Yeah," He pauses, inhaling heavily as he takes a step towards me. The man I once knew. The loving and heavily unburdened husband of mine has been replaced with an insomniac who has been lashing out without any regard of his actions or any remorse. He's been drinking within the last week, almost as if something's eating away at him and I'm beginning to get terrified of what he'll do next if one small thing sets him off. If I set him off.

"You believe me, don't you baby?" He asks, taking a few quickened steps towards me as he stands in between my legs and lowers his hand. I watch as Alaric takes a strand of my hair in between his fingers, his eyes are bloodshot and he's got a crazed look inside of them. Like a killer waiting to be released, Alaric smirks as he spreads my legs even more apart with his knee, forcing my body to lowered against the mattress. A devilish grin makes my stomach churn as he lowers his body weight against me and hovers over me when he states. "Jenna, you love me. Don't you?"

Swallowing the lump that's forming in my throat, I nod my head. I've loved him for years now. I've been a protective, caring and devoted wife. But, something in me is telling me to run, something in the pit of my stomach and in the very core of my bones is telling me that this man in front of me isn't my husband anymore. The one I made vows of an eternal existence isn't the one who's vying for my attention. This man in front of me wants something from me and he won't stop until he gets it. I feel him twist a strand of my hair in between my fingers as he leans down into me and whispers with a low and sinister tone, "Why'd you have to be so stupid, Jenna? Why did you have to go snooping inside of my office? Did you think that I wasn't going to find out that you were looking for something? You're looking for clues to the murder..Aren't you?"

I feel my throat closing in on me as he moves his hand to be around my neck, tightening his fingers around my windpipe. "Well, here's a little piece of advice, don't test me. Because I can make all of this look like an accident. It isn't my first time, sweetheart." I can't breathe, my eyes begin to water as I turn my face to look into his hollow and emotionless eyes. "Please, don't do this, Alaric. I know you killed Tatia! But, I won't tell anyone. I swear that I won't!" I stammer out in between breathes as he loosens his grip around me and I scramble up to my feet. I need to run. I need to get the hell out of here before he does something stupid or before he hurts me even more.

"Ha...You sound just like everyone else!" He comments with a vacant stare, lifting his arms in the arm as I watch him lace his fingers back behind his head, shaking his head as he purses his lips together. "I didn't kill her, Jenna. It was simply an accident. She hit her head and I didn't know what else to do. There was so much blood...It was everywhere and so, I drove out to the lake and I was going to dump her body. But, then I decided that it would be better if I just dug a swallow grave. So, that's what I did. I loved her, Jenna. I loved her more than I ever loved you. But, she also was going to tell you about the affair. So, she had to be put down, like a dog." My eyes dart towards the vase in the room, a crystal vase that we had gotten from his mother for our wedding. Alaric must notice me eying it because the moment he picks it up, my heart sinks into my stomach. "I want you to tell me, darling wife. Why it is that I shouldn't kill you too. Since you now know what I did. The crime I committed. Why should you live?" He asks, tilting his head to the side as he tosses the vase up into the air and catches it quickly with his hands.

He laughs, a deep belly rumble that makes my blood run cold. I can hear him angrily spit out his words when he says. "Come on, Jenna. You know my secret. I obviously need to take care of you, just as I did Tatia." He says, hearing me whimper out a breath as I hear the vase shatter and he comes at me full speed, pinning my body against the wall. My head hits the wall behind me hard while Alaric eyes me straight in the face. The love and devotion he had once had for me is clearly diminished as he smirks at me, touching my face with the tip of his finger. The man I once knew is gone and within the moment, I know that all I have in my favor is running from the man he has now become.

"Please, let me go. Alaric. Baby, please. You don't want to hurt me!" I'm begging him to release me from his evil intentions, my fear growing with every single moment that he stays silent and then it happens. Alaric takes a step back, running his hands through his hair, glancing down at the ground. "I don't. But, you know my secret, sweetheart. I'm the one who killed her. And, since no one can know about this, I don't have any other choice. But, you end this now." The way he's looking at me. So, full of evil and darkness. My body begins to shake and I turn to open the locked door to our bedroom. However, his heavy hand presses against the white colored door and he stops me. I can smell the allure of his booze scented breath as he sniffs my hair and then he tugs it back, twisting it in between his fingers tightly. His darkened eyes latch on to mine as he leans my head back, still gripping on to a fist full of my golden colored locks as he drags me around the room. "You killed her.." My voice shakes as I make the connection. I knew it the moment I found the bloody hoodie from a young girl in his office and then the news clipping with her face on a missing persons flier. He had been tracking her death for years, almost as if it was a trophy of his accomplishments. "You killed her and you blamed a federal agent for her death! You're a killer!"

Alaric chuckles, as he stares me straight in the eyes when he says in a sarcastic tone. "Very good, Jenna! It only took you a few years to figure it all out. I'm impressed with how quickly all of this is piecing together in that brain of yours." My breathing hitches as he releases me. I stumble back as body flies backwards and my back hits the cold tiles of our bathroom floor. I'm crawling backwards on my unsteady hands and knees, my back turned away from him as I attempt to get up and then it all happens so fast. Alaric takes a heavy object and hits me in the back of the head with it. I feel a tingling sensation course through my body as the front of my head hits the cold tiles and I can taste my own blood in my mouth. Then, everything around me goes into darkness and all I can hear are his chilling words. "Looks like you've just become collateral damage."

* * *

**-Katherine-**

"All I'm saying is that there is more to this story and Alaric getting off scotch free isn't going to be part of it, Elijah! I've been working for weeks with Damon and by myself in trying to get Kol's name cleared and you're just now calling me and telling me that it looks like Alaric is on the move again!" I yell into my cell phone. I'm pissed off and irate about how slowly things have progressed over the last few weeks because it seems as if our target suspect is on the prowl again.

"How long are we going to wait to arrest him? Until he kills again? I have evidence! I have his wife telling me that she feels unsafe in their home, which she finally came to the local Texas authorities and confessed last night when she found some evidence in her house! How much longer are we going to wait?" I'm snarling out my angered words as my body begins to shake. I've been awake since 1am and I've been making my way through my third cup of coffee.

"I'm telling you to stand down from this case, Katherine. You're too emotionally invested." He orders as I roll my eyes and shake my head. _Too emotionally invested? It's a conflict of interest, Mrs. Petrova. She was your cousin...I understand that_...Those are all the things I've been hearing lately from the big wigs at headquarters, including Elijah Mikaelson and I'm starting to think he's full of shit!

"Listen to me. Other than your wife, I seem to be the only other person still wanting an end to this case. You took Damon off of it two weeks ago because he had to handle that mess with his younger brother and you left me hanging. You called off the surveillance team and pretty much have dropped all of our resources in trying to prove him guilty. I'm calling your bullshit, Sir."

"Katherine." He warns in a stern voice, probably regretting ever having me force myself into this to begin with because I've been raising hell for the last three days, pushing them to arrest Alaric as he becomes a lot more elusive in his potential capturing.

"Kol is my brother and I am trying the best that I can to make things happen on my end as well. But, you need to understand that I have a million other priorities over here at the moment and that I can't just be focusing on this case. Listen to me, Katherine..." His tired voice trails off as he exhales deeply and softly adds in. "Stay away from Alaric Saltzman. He's planning something and it could be really dangerous. I don't want you hurt or involved in it anymore than you've already become."

I open my mouth to protest and tell him that it's too late. I've called in my own backup team to watch Alaric's every move and that if he doesn't make a move soon that I'll be going at it alone, tonight. Instead, I bite my tongue as if to oblige by his request. "Fine. I'll trust that your team has eyes on him still and that it'll take another year for him to be captured. You know, once he's killed another 3 women without cause or as fled to Mexico. Yeah, that sounds good. I'll wait until he's become a fugitive again!"

I hang up the phone, closing my eyes and leaning my head back as I feel a light tap on my shoulder, a small smile spreading across his face when he looks up at me and meets my gaze. "My brother sure is an ass sometimes, isn't he?" His blue eyes are sparkling as I nod my head. The young police officer and his colleague laugh out loud while I look around the surveillance van. We've been huddled in here for hours, watching and waiting for him to make a move and yet, there's been no activity at all over the last three hours.

Klaus runs his hands through his hair, twisting open a bottle of water as he leans back into the seat's we've created out of plastic buckets and utters out. "Oh bloody hell, Alaric. We're going to become skeletons by the time you decide to leave your precious home!"

A loud laugh echos throughout the small van as I look up at Klaus and smile a little. "Thank you for this. For coming out here to help me and for not telling your brother about it."

"You're welcome, love." He smiles, leaning towards me as he whispers in a soft tone. "I know how much getting Kol out of that hell hole of a prison means to you and I know that we all want the same thing. It's just, you need to understand that with as big of a position Elijah's in. His hands become tied behind his back and he can get unfocused sometimes. Believe me, Katherine. He wants Kol free as much as I do, as much as you do as well. It's just, I personally think a part of him believes no one will really catch Alaric in the act and have some concrete evidence against him." I nod, trying to understand what Klaus means as I close my eyes for a brief moment and then I hear it, a voice in my ear that gives me some hope that once and for all, this nightmare will be over soon. "We've got movement! Everyone get into position."

"Fucking hell!" Klaus shouts out, dropping the binoculars in his hands as we all watch Alaric walk out into the middle of his driveway, covered in blood. "He's got a gun in his hands." I point out, hearing Klaus tell us that we need to move, fast.

"Come and get me! It's me, you've wanted this whole time, sons of bitches! Isn't it?" Alaric shouts out into the sky, waving a hand gun around in the air. He's covered in blood that isn't his own as Klaus finally orders us the go ahead and for us to be in position.

"Put down the weapon!" I scream at him, my hands shaking as Klaus tells me to stand down and tries to calm the situation down. "Alaric! Put the weapon down. Place it down on the ground and no one will get hurt!" Klaus shouts out. I notice that his hands are shaking against his gun as much as mine are against my own. We're both terrified because this can all only end in two ways. Either an arrest of a murderer or the death of one, which would lead to having no answers. And, that isn't something either of us want.

"He's covered in blood." I hear one of the guys that's with us utter out as I loudly direct to him. "Alaric, we want this to end peacefully. Now, are you hurt?"

He laughs, shaking his head and placing the gun towards his chest. "Am I hurt? What? This blood? This isn't mine. But, you all should check to see if my wife's still breathing." He says as he lets out a chilling laugh again that makes us all stop in our tracks. His wife...Innocent Jenna Saltzman...She's become another casualty.

"It's Jenna Saltzman's blood, sir." I swallow down the lump forming at the base of my throat as I close my eyes and realize why he's trying to get himself killed. "He wants this to end because he killed her. That's her blood that he's wearing, sir. He doesn't want to rot away in prison for his actions because he's rather we kill him and I refuse to give him that satisfaction."

"Alaric! Stand down!" Klaus yells out once more. We're all in position, all of us pointing a gun at him as he finally falls to the ground, appearing intoxicated as he lets out a chilling yelp. "Fine! You all want me? Go ahead, kill me!" He screams, raising his hands up into the air as I holster my weapon and run out towards him once his weapon drops to the ground. I slam his body against the hot concrete ground, hearing him groan as I tell him that he's under arrest. Pure satisfaction for the moment drives my movements when I pull him up to his feet. "Alaric Saltzman. You're under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Tatia Petrova. For eluding the FBI and local Texas authorities and for the murder of your wife, Jenna Saltzman. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning."

* * *

**-Stefan-**

"I'm sorry." Elena whispers softly, standing just a few feet outside of my bedroom door. She's watching me unpack my things as she leans her side into the door frame. I turn towards her, giving her a saddened and exhausted look. She nearly lost her mind at the rehab clinic because she wasn't feeling comfortable there. "They detoxed me and we talked about my feelings, Stefan. I talked about you and how sorry I was.." She stops, taking a step inside of my room while correcting herself. "How sorry I am for everything that I've done to push you away," I can hear her standing behind me now, placing her hand against the middle of my back as she says in a low and soft voice. "How sorry I am."

Turning towards Elena, I'm searching her eyes. Trying to find any shred of hope in them as she looks at me and leans in closer. We're just inches apart when she wraps her arms around me and buries her face into the curve of my neck. "I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you the way that I did. I've just been so lost." She admits, the tone in her voice breaking as she pulls me closer and I hold her against my chest for a long time. I'm thankful in the moment that it's just the two of us, that Damon and Bonnie went to sleep just a little over two hours ago and are all the way across the hallway.

"It's okay." She hears me comment, pushing back away from her and moving a few strands of her hair away from her damp cheeks. Elena moves away from me, turning back to the door as I inhale sharply. "I should go back to bed." She comments, wiping away her tears. I'm taking a risk with what I'm about to say. But, I could care less. I've missed her. I've missed the loving and beautiful girl that I'm in love with and I need her more than anything right now. "No, you shouldn't. Stay here with me, Elena." I declare, moving towards her briskly as my hands find her face and I pull her lips to mine, capturing her lips against my own in a savory and desire filled kiss.

We're breathless as I back away first, closing and locking the door behind us. Elena gives me a perplexed look as if she's unsure of what my next move is. I take her hand, gently stroking my thumb across her cold hands as I lock my eyes on to her, turning off the lights in the process and making my room nearly pitch black. The only lighting that's illuminating our silhouette's are the streetlights shining inside of my small bedroom window above my bed. "Stefan," Elena stops her hands from moving towards me as I take them under my touch, guiding her arms around my neck.

"I don't think we should do this. It wouldn't be right..." Her voice cracks as I lean into her, kissing her lips gently. Elena tilts her head to the side, trembling as I push her hair off of her shoulder, replacing my hand with my moistened lips. I turn us around slowly to the bed, hearing her giggle as her knees hit the back of the mattress and she clings to me as we both fall backwards. Elena's wearing nothing more than a clean white t-shirt of mine and a pair of her black lace underwear that I had seen earlier when she bent down to pick up a piece of paper inside of the guest room that I had thrown purposefully into it for her to grab. "I'm sorry." Elena whispers again, placing her right hand against my stubble covered cheek as she sweeps her index finger over a cut on my cheek. I lean my mouth towards her wrist, kissing her inner skin with my lips as I turn my focus back on to her and exhale heavily. "It's okay, baby. I forgive you. That girl, she wasn't you."

Elena leans her head back into the soft and warm covers as I hover over her, my arms holding me up and resting on each side of her waistline. Her eyes never once leave mine as she locks her eyes on to me when she states. "I love you so much." I feel her lean her head up in the darkness, pulling my body down against me and rolling us over. Elena giggles out a small laugh as I land on the mattress beneath me and she straddles my lap, placing both of my hands against her bare thighs. She leans forward, kissing my cheeks feverishly and biting down on my lower lip with her teeth, tugging on it while causing me to groan out. I glide my hands against her warm and olive colored skin, reaching her hips as the shirt she's wearing lifts a bit and she places both of her hands against my chest. Elena rolls her hips forward, forcing me to bite my tongue and stifle a moan escaping past my vocal cords. "Elena," Her name is a warning, a plea of the most beautiful kind.

"I need you." She whispers into my ear, sending a sensation of calm and devotion throughout my body. I need her too. I've always needed her and loved her without even knowing it. Elena came into my life during a time when I was trying to figure things out and with her, I did just that. But, without her I've been a total and utter mess of an individual.

"Love me and never let me go." She says, taking my hands as I sit up and pull her against my chest. My fingers feverishly pulling off the shirt from Elena's body as she tosses it to the ground. She straddles my lap as I watch her hands move forward to remove my dark navy blue t-shirt. "Are you sure about this? I don't have a condom." I comment, killing the mood we've created for a second as she takes her finger and places it against my lips. "I'm sure and it's fine. I know that you'll be careful. We'll be careful this time." She whispers into the darkness as my hands find hers and Elena yanks down her underwear, leaning her head back while my lips kiss her neck, working them up towards her mouth. Her hands find the waistband to my boxers as I remove them slowly and lower her body down against the mattress below us. She's trembling when I move the cool white feeling sheets from between our bodies. My thumb runs across the scar on her shoulder, indulging my lips upon her collar bone as I suck and nip at her warm skin. Elena moans into my ears, saying my name ever so softly as she begs for more.

"Please, Stefan..." Her voice becomes hoarse as my arm glides down her bare back, unclasping her bra. I kiss each of her breasts, the tip of my tongue massages each of her succulent hardened nipples, hearing her moaning out my name in the heat of passion makes me continue my assault of kisses and touches. I want her to feel me all around her, I want to make her think of only me. Our clothing lays in a pile on the floor beside the bed as our bodies mold into one another and my lips silence her whimpering. Elena's long nails graze against my back while my legs wrap around her and I feel her racing pulse against my hand. "It's alright, sweetheart." My soothing voice reassures her as I feel her body tense up and then relax beneath my hands. Cupping her cheek against my palm, I lean down to kiss her lips. My body warmth resonates throughout both of us as she tightens her grip against my shoulders while my finger moves down towards her wet core and I press our foreheads together. "I promise that we'll go slow." She hears me say, nodding as my eyes lock onto hers and in the exact moment, our hips grind together just as the frequency builds even heavier between us.

An hour later after making love, the sheets are soaked with a mixture of her perfume and our sweat as I hold her against my chest. Elena runs her fingers delicately over my chest, looking out the window. She's silent as my fingers move into her hair, laying her head back against my arm and nuzzling against the crook of my neck, she inhales deeply. "I don't ever want to forget this moment.." Her voice is distance, sounding almost a million miles away as she keeps looking up at the ceiling.

"This exact moment?" I ask her, shoving my face into her hair as I pull her closer against me and she exhales a peaceful sigh. "Yes. Because, it's the very moment I knew that everything was going to be okay again. As long as I have you by my side, Stefan Salvatore. Our futures are limitless, our love is forever."

"It sure is." I comment, kissing her as I wrap my other arm around her, pulling up some of the fallen sheets that are now almost kicked off the bed and by our legs. "I'm going to love you for as long as I live, Elena Gilbert." I tell her, massaging her head as she begins to slowly drift into a deep sleep and I start to do the same. That's until we both hear it, a loud ping from Damon's cell phone and Elena gasps.

"Shit! He's awake." She says, kissing me quickly as I help her find her clothing in the dark and watch her pull my t-shirt over her body, pulling her underwear back over her hips as she leans over once more and kisses me again, telling me that she is going to sneak out of my room as quietly as possible.

"I love you." She rushes out, walking slowly to the door and opening it as I lay flat back on to the bed after telling her that I love her too, wondering how I got so lucky loving such a beautiful girl.

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Elena." The tone of his voice sends my blood into feeling like it's ice cold. The moment I turn around and see his eyes, I know that something isn't right because Damon doesn't look pissed off that I've been clearly caught sneaking out of his younger brother's room after I was specifically told of the rules and made sure that I'd follow them.

"Damon." I point back to Stefan's now closed bedroom door. "I can explain..." He shrugs his shoulders, mumbling about how he knew keeping us apart was a stupid idea and that us being other in that sense was only a matter of time.

"Elena, it's not that." He says, his blue calming eyes are filled with chaos and my stomach churns as he pats the empty seat beside him. Damon nervously runs his fingers over his hair and then his heavy hand runs vigorously over his face. He looks exhausted. I know for a fact that he is considering it's a little after midnight and whoever called him, obviously woke him up.

"You're scaring me." I comment, not daring to look him in the eyes as he clears his throat. His hands are shaking when he places his cell phone down on the counter beside him, he's got that all serious business look that I've seen him have for over a week now. I think that's the exact moment I know that something isn't right and whatever he's about to say, won't be good.

"Tell me what's going on..Damon, please." I swallow down the lump that's forming in my throat as I fight back my tears. There's that old familiar feeling of loss in the air, of a life cut short and suddenly the room is spinning and I'm barely breathing because I know what he's going to say before he even utters out a word.

"Who is it?" I ask him, the tears beginning to fall down my flushed cheeks that I had begged to hold off. It's too late because the fear and sadness are enveloping me in it and before I know it, I'm leaning against my boyfriend's older brother and sobbing like a small child into his crisp white t-shirt as he murmurs out. "It's Jenna. Elena, your aunt Jenna is dead. Alaric killed her because she found out that he had been lying to her after all these years about a case I've been involved in….I am so sorry." His gentle touch makes me shatter into a million little pieces as I cling on to him and wailing sobs leave my lips. My crying wakes both Bonnie and Stefan up, I can hear them rushing out of their bedrooms as they both stand like a pair of statues just feet away from Damon and I, watching my whole world crumble around me within seconds.

"What happened?" Stefan asks, his voice still a groggy rasp. Bonnie crosses her arms over her chest and watches helplessly as Damon whispers something to her. "Come on sweetheart." She urges me off the couch and into her arms. But as I get up, my knees buckle and Stefan catches me. I turn into him, punching at his chest as I curse under my breath. "They're all dead! Everyone that I've ever loved, ever gotten close to is….Dead!" My voice breaks as Stefan kisses the top of my head, holding me against him tightly and trying to calm me down as I scream. "Everyone I have ever loved is dead! I have no one. I have nothing. I don't have my parents, my aunt or our baby. I don't- I-" Stefan's arms tighten around me as he runs his fingers through my hair and he rocks my body in a calming motion back and forth.

"You have me. You'll always have me." He vows into my ear, kissing my cheeks as he pulls my face away from his chest and he places both of his hands on to my face. "You're not to blame for any of this, Elena. This wasn't your fault. We're going to get through this, together. I promise, I'm never going to leave you."

I push away from him fast, watching as he falls back on to the carpet and stares at me as my hands grab on to my hair and I start screaming hysterically. "This is all my fault! Everything that's happened is because of me!" I yell out, tears dripping into my mouth as Bonnie shakes her head and wipes away her own tears. She places her hands in front of her, attempting to calm me down.

"Honey, Stefan is right. This wasn't your fault..." Her voice fades out as I run into the guest room, I need to breathe and I can't do that here. I feel like I'm suffocating underneath all of these pairs of eyes and the heavy weight inside of my heart. My shaking hands and weakening legs make me collapse against the bed and Stefan once again rushes to my side as he holds me even tighter this time, allowing me to fall apart in his arms without words. Everything feels like it's crashing around me and yet being in his arms, having them protecting me from anymore, harm makes me feel a bit at peace as I finally break down all my walls while he forces me to drown myself in the sheer misery that is my very own existent. As he holds me, I lay my head against his shoulder, wondering what's next for the once bright future that I had envisioned for myself? For him and the two of us together? What could possibly be next for a shining and great future that I now know that I'll never be apart of anymore. He holds me close as I whisper into his ear with a barely there tone, the words that I'm too scared to say out loud. "What's going to happen to me now, Stefan? Where do I go from here?"

* * *

**A/N: So, thoughts? Are your heads spinning yet from everything that just happened? Any theories as to what is going to happen next?**

**Here's a hint...We're going to see Elena much older and much darker than we've ever seen her before. ;)**

**Please leave me a review. :)**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and follows on this story. I'm so happy that you all love is so much. So, with that being said we are FINALLY getting to the 6 YEAR TIME JUMP. Flashbacks will be added in and they will all be in italics.  
**

**Enjoy and thanks so much for reading!**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Dangerous Minds- Chapter Seventeen- **

_**...6 years later…..** _

_**-Stefan-** _

" _One more big push! Pushh, Pushhh!" The nurse softly says as Elena leans back into the pillows behind her, clutching my hand while_ _she cries against me. "Ahhh!" She's screaming at the top of her lungs and digging her nails into my skin. We're both exhausted and terrified of our unknown futures when we hear the lively cry of a baby and the doctor announces proudly. "Congratulations! It's a little girl."_

" _A girl?" She asks, sweat dripping down her forehead as she pulls me close and cries into the curve of my neck. I kiss her moistened hair, telling her how well she did and how proud of her I am. But, our moment of triumph is quickly replaced when I hear the doctor tell one of the nurses that Elena has less that 24 hours with our newborn daughter before she had to make a choice, keep her or give her up for adoption._

" _Elena, you don't need to do this. We can make it work. I know that we can." I whisper into her ear, acknowledging the fact that within a few hours, this little warm bundled up pink nosed baby girl won't be ours anymore and she could easily end up being someone else's little girl. "I put her at risk, Stefan. It's not safe for her to be around me." Elena chokes back sobs, my arms wrap around her as I comfort her and think about the choice she's making without even really consulting me about it. Elena had been clean nearly her whole pregnancy because she was too scared to hurt the baby. She had been so careful, until just a few weeks ago. When she had found herself hit rock bottom and once again, she spiraled out of control and used. My parents had found out about Elena's relapse into drugs and demanded that we make a choice. Remembering that my parents are standing impatiently outside these walls and in the waiting room, makes me a bit nauseated._

" _I'm going to go talk to them." I comment, kissing her cheek as I overhear the nurse tell me that they're going to run some tests on the baby and that Elena will be going_ _into the recovery room. "I'll be back." She hears me tell her, nodding her head and closing her eyes. I can see it then, the despair_ _and desperation on her face. She hates who she's become and deep down she knows she wants to prove to everyone that she can be better. A better mother, a better friend and girlfriend. A better person._ _So, that's where our second choice comes into play. One that I have yet to mention to my parents._

" _Annie, where's my dad?" I ask her, watching her turn towards me with a beaming smile on her face._

" _How's the baby? How's Elena?" She questions as I vaguely tell her that both mother and daughter are doing fine. But, that I need to really run this by my father._

" _Is everything alright?" Dad asks, emerging from behind a closed door as it pushes open and he places his coffee cup down on a small table in the room._

_I take a seat, my shoulders tense up as I feel Annie take a seat beside me and she places her hand on to my shoulder. "Stefan, sweetie. What's going on?" She asks, staring at my father who extends out his hand, looking me right in the eyes. "Stefan, you and Elena really need to think this through." He comments as I take my hand out from his reach and cross my arms. "We have. We're keeping her and raising her together."_

_Annie scoffs, getting up from her chair and beginning to pace the waiting room as she points to my father and laughs out sarcastically. "Are you hearing your son right now? This is nonsense! She is a drug addicted girl with a baby that was just born nearly addicted to crack! Jesus Christ and you both think that having this baby full time in her care will help her? Stefan, don't be a stupid child. Do what's best for this baby and allow her to be raised by us or even your brother. Do it without Elena knowing."_

" _She promised me that she'll be clean. She's been trying really hard, Annie. It was just one slip up." My tone is defensive as I push up from my seat, feeling my dad shove me back down into it as he hovers above me and deadlocks his gaze onto mine, he's angry at my choice. "There is no way in hell I am allowing that irresponsible and unstable young girl to raise my granddaughter!" He shouts out, grabbing my step mother under the arm as I watch them_ _head out to the exit doors. My dad pauses near them though, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shakes his head and states. "I will fight her in court for her little girl. I swear to god, Stefan. If you side with Elena, I don't want to hear about either of you anymore. She is going to drag you into the pits of hell with her and my son, that will be your down fall. Just make sure that your daughter isn't caught in the middle of a nasty fight."_

The cell phone in my pocket buzzes to life as I shake the memory from my mind, rolling over to the side and exhaling deeply. I haven't wanted to face today. I haven't wanted to make it reality at all. Although, I know that I need too and part of me knows that years ago, she would have helped me through it. I'm starting my new job today, after months of training, I'm finally going to be known as Agent Stefan Salvatore with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

"Rise and shine sleepy head!" Bonnie cheerfully sings out, walking into the guest room as I rub my face with hands. "Bon, do you think I made the right choice?" I ask her suddenly, biting down on my lower lip as I lean my head back into the fluffy pillows behind me, exhaling heavily.

"Hmm." She takes a seat on the edge of my bed, smiling as she leans into my legs and then turns to me. "Moving from Virginia to Washington, D.C.?" She asks me softly as I inhale through my nose, closing my eyes and allowing everything to consume me. The memory hits me hard as I comes back in waves and all I can is it in front of my eyes...

" _I told you that we could do this, raise her together.." Elena tells me, squeezing my hand after I put the baby down in her crib, watching her dark green eyes glistening back at me._

" _You haven't been home in days, Elena! I called everyone we knew until, well..Here you are. Damon and Bonnie have been helping me more than you have." I point out, closing the door behind me to allow our already five month old daughter to sleep._

" _I'm trying!" She hisses out, rolling her eyes as I take in her slouched posture and sunken in eyes. She looks sleep deprived and shaky, almost like she's disconnected a bit from reality. She's all over the place as she takes a seat in the apartment that her and I had started renting together a few months before the baby was born. "Trying?" I spit out my word, tilting my head to the side and trying to figure out how the hell she thinks that she's been trying because to me, it's evident that she hasn't been at all. Everything Elena has done lately has been for her own benefit and no one elses._

" _You've_ _being so damn selfish! It was her birthday yesterday and you missed it! She's 5 months old now, Elena. She still needs her mother. She cries for you, she can't sleep at night because you're not here and neither can I because I'm too busy worrying about where you are. And, I just..." My voice cracks. I'm exhausted and tired of this constant fighting between us. She eggs me on though, provoking me to scream out what's really been on my mind for the last few months._

" _What do you want from me, Stefan? I'm trying to kick my addiction. I'm working and going to counseling. I am fucking trying to be here for you and for the baby!" She says. I get up, standing in front of her, stone faced with my eyes secured on to hers. I can feel the tension between us that could easily be cut with a knife. It's not that type of heated tension anymore that we once had. Now, it's different. Aggressive, filled with an underlining of resentment and hatred._

" _I should have listened to my father the day she was born. I should have talked you into giving up your parental rights and I should have fought you for full custody! You're not a good mother. You don't even know how to fucking be one!" I yell at her, walking over to the kitchen and grabbing my car keys and coat before she can stop me. I pause near the door, shaking my head as she looks back at me with tears streaming down her face, swearing that she's clean._

" _Don't do this, Stefan. Please, don't walk out.." She sobs as her own voice breaks while I swallow the regret down, thinking about how I need to go over to Damon and Bonnie's before this escalates even more._

" _Prove it to me. Show me that you can be the mother that she needs, Elena. I'll give you a few hours to figure it out. I'll be at Damon's if you need anything." I tell her, walking out of the apartment without another word while silently praying that she won't hurt our daughter, Addison Marie Salvatore._

"Earth to Stefan! I asked you a question." Bonnie says to me, shaking me as I glance up at her and finally move off of the messy bed. "Taking this job in Washington, D.C. Being an agent with the FBI. You know, maybe I'm not cut out for it."

Bonnie laughs, this sweet and reassuring smile spread across her face when she says softly. "Stefan, you will be just fine. I promise that everything will be okay. Besides, you'll have your brother by your side." She smirks, getting up from the bed and tossing a fresh clean bath towel at my face. "Now, get in the shower and go make yourself look presentable for your first day of work. Remember, you've got a big day ahead of you."

* * *

**-Bonnie-**

Watching her green eyes shining across the table from me as she pops a corn flake into her mouth, makes my smile widens. I can feel Damon's arm wrap around my shoulder as he leans into my ear and smirks a little against my cheek while asking. "How are my two favorite people doing this morning?"

"Look momma, daddy was teaching me how to catch cornflakes in my mouth last night. Wanna see?" Addison asks as I look over at Damon who's shrugging his shoulders back, gazing over at us with pride.

Maybe it's her words or the question that she's asking me. But, the moment my eyes meet Damon's, I'm swept into the last few years surrounding Addison's life and the truth of our situation. She isn't really our, she never really has been….

" _I want you and Damon to raise her as your own. I'll give up my parental rights." He was begging us that night, he had came over. Desperation was seeping from his voice as his hands trembled. Stefan didn't look at neither of us as he closed his eyes and sunk down into our couch while speaking. "I can't do this anymore, alone. I mean, I know that Elena's there and that she's trying. But, most of the time I'm raising Addison by myself and with working and planning to go back to school. I want to have a life and I can't do that by being a single dad to a baby." He was trying, I could see the pain in his eyes as he made the statement to his older brother._

" _You're insane!" Damon spat out, pushing up from the_ _couch while he_ _glanced over at me. He probably saw it, the small glimmer of hope I had in my eyes when his little brother said those words..._ _ **Raise her as your own**_ _. We have been trying for years to get pregnant and just last winter, we decided that we couldn't do it anymore. Things were getting expensive, especially all these fertility treatments which were costing both Damon and I too much money and too much of our lives, causing us to nearly lose a majority of our savings and almost breaking our marriage apart._

" _If we did this, what's Elena going to say? She'd still need to give up hers as well and she could fight us on this." I pointed out as Stefan lifted himself up a bit more from his seat and exhaled deeply before he spoke. "I can talk to my dad's friend here in Mystic Falls. He's a family lawyer who deals with this sort of thing all the time. Elena would give up her parental rights, as would I. Our daughter would be raised by the two of you. Legally, she would be yours and both of you would decide how she is brought up, which schools she attends, where she lives. Everything." He licks his bottom lip as he glances over to Damon and adds on, "I've looked it up on the internet and from everything that I've read. Damon, you and Bonnie would be her parents. All we'd need to do is legalize it all. Elena and I wouldn't have any rights to her. Especially, if you chose to adopt her, then we couldn't say no."_

_Damon stops for a moment, running his fingers through his hair. "If we decided to do this. What do we tell your daughter when she starts growing up. Who are you going to be to her?"_

_I watch Stefan exhale heavily. It pains him to have to make this choice. But, maybe it's the only option with how things are going at the moment, maybe it's the only way. Maybe having us take over parenting his daughter would actually give him and Elena a better chance at a life, weather it be together or apart. He's silent for a long time as he leans back into the couch cushions and then he finally states. "I want to keep in contact with her and even though it's going to be very hard on me, I still want to have a small part in her life. But, I don't want Elena in it. Not, the way she is now. I want my daughter to grow up with stable parents and in a loving home. Which, I know that you two will provide. So, I want Addison to know me as her Uncle Stefan."_

"No, baby. Not right now. Mommy has to make sure your uncle Stefan and dad are ready to go." I comment, extending out my hand and gliding it across the top of hers as I hear Damon say that she needs to start getting ready for the school bus and as the memory of that night fades away.

"I can take her today." I tell him, watching her slide out from the dining room table chair that she'd been sitting in over the last half hour and walk straight upstairs.

"You need to drop Stefan and I off at the airport. We're heading out to Washington D.C. because Stefan and I need to go to a meeting on a very big new case." He says, placing his coffee cup down and looking out the window just at the same time as Stefan walks down the stairs and says good morning to both of us. "Alright, then." I turn back around, smiling at the brothers before heading back up stairs to make sure that Addison's ready for the day. It's been six years and as my eyes catch Stefan's gaze, I wonder about it...If he still think he made the right choice, forcing Elena to give up her parental rights in a nasty court room battle and giving up his own voluntarily. I wonder if he regrets it at all?

* * *

**-Elena-**

"Son of a bitch!" I snarl out while running with a limp, ducking behind an alley way with a black bag half way filled with money pressed against my chest. My breathing hasn't calmed down yet, my legs are shaking and the guy in the damn taxi was asking too many questions, so I made him a proposition that he couldn't refuse, I gave him some money to keep him quiet. Although, it was all to find out that he'd seen my face plastered on a flier at a convenient store here in Italy and he was driving me to the local authorities himself. That was until I put two and two together and well, jumped out of the moving cab, nearly breaking my leg in the process.

" _ **Is it taken care of? Damn it, Owen. Where are you?"**_ The same name pops back up in a text from earlier and my fingers eagerly await to message her back. I want to find out who Lexi Branson is and why she needs to know where Owen's at so much. My mind is reeling as I tuck my dark brown hair into the baseball cap I'm wearing and shrug off my ratty old gray looking sweatshirt, discarding it in the alleyway. I need to get to safety, a motel so that I can change my appearance and get the hell out of this country.

" _ **Had a little complication. Although, things seems okay now. When and where can we meet to discuss things?"**_ I ask her, waiting.

My heart pounds against my chest as I'm watching while she texts me back an address with the words. _**"You better be kidding about this little complication. I won't be happy about it, you know. Neither will they. It was supposed to be a simple job, Owen. Finish it!"**_

"Well, you're clearly out to kill me. Wonderful! I love being a target." I sarcastically say under my breath while agreeing to meet with this Lexi girl and thinking about how I need to clean myself up because the place where she mentioned is probably going to be crawling with people who all want a piece of me on a silver platter or who all just want the 1 million dollar reward that's attached to my name as of this morning. I glance around the alleyway to notice couples passing by me, it's getting darker in the night, so my simple disguise of a baseball cap and tattered clothing is making it harder for me to not stand out into the well dressed crowd of people. My heart breaks for a minute as I begin walking and I look up to notice it, a little dark haired girl holding her mothers hand as they happily step into an open ice cream shop. Swallowing down my sorrow, I push it aside and ignore it all. I don't have time to feel anything, I can't afford to feel anything. Because, the moment that I attach myself to memories of my past or some sort of emotion, that will be the moment where everything comes crashing down and it will make me weak. As I walk the streets with my head down and the bag slung like a purse over my shoulder, I remember it. The last few hours I had spent with _her_ ….

" _It's okay, sweetheart. Momma's here." I speak softly to her as she sleeps, running my fingers lightly over the top of her head while_ _I bent down and kissed her forehead as she slept._

" _Baby girl. I don't want to ruin your life or your daddy's anymore. So, I'm going to go away for a while. I don't know how long it's going to be. But, I know that you're going to have a lot of questions and I'm not really sure of the answers. All I know right now sweetheart is that being your mommy in the shape that I'm in right now wouldn't be a good thing." My throat begins closing up and I feel the tears falling from my eyes as fight them back, writing a quick note to Stefan that he shouldn't come looking for me._

" _I want you to grow up better than I did, my sweet little girl. Addison Marie Salvatore, you are going to be so special to so many people and you're going to be so loved. You won't even need me anymore. I'm not ready to be your mommy and I don't think I'll ever be ready for it. But, I promise you that I'll keep you close where I am and the day that I'm ready to be your mommy again, I'll be back." Kissing her soft cheeks, I turn my back to her crib and walk out into the living room, waiting for his return, waiting to tell him that I won't give up my parental rights because I refuse to be anything else but her mother._

Taking out the tattered picture from my pocket, my fingers run over the smiling face of the little girl as I close my eyes, exhaling heavily. Owen had a little girl, that reminds me of my own daughter that I've never seen or met before. So, I took the picture from his pocket and I ran because for a split second, I thought that he had an image of my daughter. However, looking at it a little bit better under the street light above me now, I see a blonde woman in the background, smiling at her. It clicks then, what I've done and who I've hurt. "Shit!" I curse out, shoving the picture back into my pocket and taking out his cell phone that I had taken from him as I text her one final thing. _**"Owen killed someone I cared about a few years ago. Her name was Rebekah Mikaelson and she overdosed on his tainted drugs, she was a friend of mine. So, I put an end to him as he did to her. I'm not sorry for leaving him to die."**_ I press the send button as I look around and add in with a very vindictive tone. _**"Let's face it. Everyone's better off without that lousy asshole. So, if you want me dead for it, you know. Tit for tat. I'll say this once: Let the games begin."**_

* * *

**-Damon-**

"Thank you all for coming out here this afternoon." Elijah comments while taking his seat across from the team they've assembled. All of us from different divisions coming together to finally tackle this growing problem that's been looming above our heads for the last three years.

"It's been a while since we've been in the same room, hasn't it?" Katherine smiles, her hair an even darker brown than it had been when I had seen her just last year as her and Kol came back from renewing their vows in the Dominican Republic.

"Where's your husband?" Hayley asks, smiling widely as she steps into the room and gives Katherine a hug. "Nice to see you back with us, Mrs. Mikaelson." She says, looking back behind her as we all stand up to greet Kol, clapping while he makes his entrance into the room.

"It's good to be back, isn't it love?" Kol responds, giving Katherine a kiss on the cheek while telling us all to stop being ridiculous and to take a seat. "All charges were dropped four years ago and I finally decided that I needed to get my old life back. So, Katherine and I made the choice to come back to where it all started for me," He pauses, lifting his hands up and flicking his wrists as he adds on. "Here. We thought that leaving Mystic Falls was best and now, here we are." He smiles, taking a seat beside her as I notice her nodding at me, almost reassuring herself and me that she's finally happy and that things are better than they had been before.

Clearing my throat, I smile at them both. "Well, I'm happy for you both."

"Thanks." She says shyly, urging Kol to go stand beside his brother so that the meeting can begin.

Tapping his pen against the conference room desk, Elijah stands up and flips open a file folder with a stack of pictures and what looks like the FBI's top 10 most wanted list. "We're all here to find these people. Some might have gone internationally, some might still be in the states. However, they're all wanted for various crimes that have them on our radar. Some are murders, some just keep escaping the law and others, well...We can't find them at all." I can hear Kol continue the speech as I look over at Stefan while we both notice the pictures that Elijah's having Hayley place on the white board, one by one. The criminals all have faces and names. One by one, they all make my stomach churn with fear. Every single one of them has been on the run from our task force for years. Every single one, except for the last one. The last one makes me nearly want to vomit when I see her face and stand up to get a better look of the colored picture in front of my face.

"I think you've made a mistake with that last one, sir." I comment, squinting my eyes as Stefan and I both stand up. My brother looks pale faced and weak in the knees when Elijah places a hand on to his shoulder and looks him square in the eyes as he asks. "Stefan, are you alright? Do you know her?"

Stefan looks away from the board, his eyes shifting to me as his fingers curl into fists. "I need a moment." He says with a drop in his tone. I follow him out of the conference room, watching his fist nearly fly through the drywall. "I can't fucking believe this!" Stefan yells out, loudly enough for both of us to get attention from some of the other agents.

"Come outside with me. It's not a request, it's a demand, agent Salvatore." I tell him sternly, pulling him outside with me as he screams out into the still air around us. "It's a mistake! She can't be! This isn't happening!" He's hyperventilating as he hysterically tells me that our team made a mistake. I calmly guide him over to a bench just feet away from the building while I try to calm him down. But, my brother's too shocked to even make any more words form out of his mouth and instead, he begins to sob against my gray dress shirt, leaving tears stains in the fabric as he says. "It's Elena. It's her and I don't think that I can do this...Damon, I can't be assigned to this task force. I can't be the person to go after the only girl I have ever loved." Holding him in my arms, I remind myself and him out loud of the one that thing we both are already aware of and that we just haven't acknowledged yet. "She isn't the same girl she used to be, Stefan. Elena Gilbert, the girl you fell in love all those years ago. That girl is long gone, brother. This girl is ruthless and manipulative and if we don't put a stop to her now, who knows what she's capable of."

* * *

**A/N: Who is Lexi Branson and does she really want Elena dead? Also, what about all those twists and turns...I'm kind of curious to see more of how Stefan's moved on...Hmmm...**

**Please leave me a review with your thoughts. :)**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	19. Chapter Twenty: The Kidnapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. AH. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows.What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games?(Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Mentions of Datherine)

A/N: Thank you all for being patient with me. Hope you all like this chapter. :)

Follow me on twitter at: BePassionate_24

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty

Stefan

"Alright crew..." His voice echoes down the hall as I toss my name badge around my neck and walk into the conference room. Leaning against the door, I can see her smiling from the corner of my eye.

"Agent Salvatore." Elijah comments, clearing his throat as Ella smirks a little, leaning into me and whispering. "Look what the cat dragged in, a handsome piece of ass."

Coughing out a breath, Elijah must notice our banter because he then asks Ella if there's anything she'd like to share with the team of ten agents in the room. She smiles nervously, clearing her throat. "Not really sir. Just the fact that we're here to catch some bad guys and kick some ass!"

He laughs a little. We all do, shaking our heads. "Alright then. Clearly, Agent De Luca is very excited about us all going on our first deep cover mission." Ella nods, opening her mouth to explain. "Well, sir. When you've been on assignment with the Russians for six months, drinking Kvass to not blow your cover. Believe me, anything is better than being in the slums. So, I am excited!"

"Welcome back, Agent De Luca." He smiles, taking the clipboard in his hands and reading off the lists of who we're going to be teamed up for our new assignments. "Stefan and Kol, Damon and Hayley, Gabriella and Katherine…." Elijah's voice trails off as he keeps listing the other agents in the room and I walk over to stand by Kol.

"Ready for this man?" I ask him, feeling Damon lean over my shoulder as he says in a soft voice. "You can't be on Elena's case. Stefan, you're being reassigned to track down some of the people she's working with." Turning towards my brother, I can feel my body tense up. I've been wanting to track her down, get my answers and arrest her for every single thing she's done to me. I sound vengeful, don't I? But, I don't care. The moment I lay eyes on Elena is going to be moment I'll realize she isn't the same girl anymore. It'll be the moment that I'll finally let her ghost go.

"This isn't about who ruined whose life, Stefan. This is about a girl who murdered an informant and now needs to be caught." Kol tells me moments later after we're dismissed and walking back to our offices to read over the case file.

He takes a seat beside me, watching Katherine and Damon talking from the corner of his eye as he places his hand on to the stack of documents before him. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice with marrying her? With taking Katherine away from him. I'm not a stupid man, Stefan. I know how much she loved your brother. But, I'd like to think that she's better off without him and that he's better off with Bonnie. I feel like it wouldn't have worked out with him and her anyways." Glancing up, I nod my head before I comment on what appears to be his doubts.

"You made the right choice, believe me." Is all I say, close my eyes and try to reassure myself that I'm making the right choices too. The first one being that I need to find Elena before anyone else does. I need to find her and get some answers and the only person who can help me in doing that is Ella.

Katherine

"I don't really like you." I comment out loud, watching Ella raise her head up slowly and her eyes widen with a bit of amusement.

"Good, because I can't stand you either. Now, let's suck it up and work together to bring this girl back to the states for the trial she doesn't really deserve. But, that she'll get because of our wonderful justice system." Ella says, leaning her elbows into the desk and smirking up at me with a sarcastic tone.

"You are going to be a total joy to work with. Aren't you?" Ella nods silently, opening the folder in front of her as I hear her clear her throat and watch her run her fingers through her long blonde locks. "Now, we should stop hating on one another and do some work." She comments as I take a seat across from her desk, glancing over one of the files and opening it up quickly. Elena's slim looking face with her darkened sunken brown eyes stare back at me as I inhale sharply through my nose. "Poor girl. What happened to you?" I comment softly, indulging myself with the new facts about her life on the run and all the things she'd done.

March 2011.

Paris, France.

Suspect was seen leaving a local tavern with a man that appeared intoxicated, argued in the streets as bystanders watched….Appears that the suspect was assaulted by the young man she was with...

My right hand closes the file as quickly as I had opened it. My mind reflects on her, the young girl years earlier whom I had seen laying flowers on her aunt Jenna's grave site after she was brutally killed by Alaric. "I just don't understand how such a good girl could have gone so bad. I know that she felt alone and all-." Ella cuts me off, shaking her head as she states in a bitterly honest tone. "Katherine. Everyone is capable of something horrible. It just depends on how fair they're pushed to the brink and clearly Elena was pushed very far."

Nodding, I go back to reviewing her file. "Right." Is all I say back, reading more while I look over Elena's four page rap sheet of various crimes that she's committed up until she was placed on our list of one of most wanted fugitives and became a wanted woman.

-Elena-

"FBI informant. You son of a bitch!" I exclaim, shaking my head and catching the reflection of a small piece of paper that is tucked away inside of his jacket pocket. It's fallen out and laying against his blood soaked chest while I slowly lean forward and grab it, pulling back from Owen and standing up straight as I move away from him. Standing near the door as I examine the photo in my hands that I had taken from his jacket. My throat closes from the pressure of a sudden rush that's making it hard to breathe as my eyes sweep over the image. I can't explain it, all I know is that I'm struggling to feel anything at all, any emotion that is remotely human like.

The palms of my hands are becoming sweaty fast when I lock my eyes on to the room and quickly run through it, grabbing everything I can and shoving it all into a large black duffel bag. The idea of no turning back runs through my mind as I step over Owen and shake my head at him, leaning down and checking his pockets for anything else that I can find. I take a few more things from him, money, a key that looks fairly important. The photo that's dated from 6 years ago has an address on the back of it and that little information alone compels me to place it right into my pocket for safe keeping.

With disappointment filling my mind. I open the door to the hotel, throwing my hair up and tucking it underneath a dark blue hoodie as my steps quicken down the stairs and I make it to the first floor, exiting the lobby without even checking out. It won't matter once they find him, none of this will. Because, I'll be far away from here by then and he hopefully won't remember a thing. My head is spinning as I place a pair of sunglasses over my eyes while I finally make it the busy street corner. Hailing a cab and watching it come to a stop in front of me. I open the door and throw my bag in first, sliding into the back seat while the younger man asks me in Italian where I want to go. I sigh out a breath, closing my eyes and clutching the picture that I had stolen off of Owen as I glance down at it and reply. "Take me to the airport."

"Take me to the airport." I comment quietly with my mind reeling about the last time I tried to make my escape and it hadn't gone as planned, the taxi driver nods his head. As far as I'm concerned, I'm done living in Europe and the only way to send my message is to go back to the states. He watches me tuck my hair underneath my blue hoodie while I hope and pray that the forged passports that Enzo made for us actually work at the checkpoints and get me past airport security.

"Where are you headed ma'am?" The young cab driver asks me as I lean my back into the cushion and smile a little, glancing out the window as the city sails past me and I close my eyes, still clutching on the picture in my sweaty palms when I reply with a sweet tone. "To see my daughter."

He opens his mouth to ask one more question as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and I take it out, reading the one lined text message from Enzo. "Meet me in Boston." It says. "Meet me there and make sure that you're not being followed."

Hours have gone by since we left Italy and flew into Boston as Enzo sits down on the bed in our motel room. He's got a box of hair dye, some ratty looking clothing and a few wigs. I watch him place a card into his wallet as he takes some papers out from his suitcase.

"To elude. You know, Elena. It means to evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way." I nod my head as he lets out a small laugh, shaking his head.

"No, I don't think you understand. Sweetheart, once you go through with your plan. You'll be on the run forever. Through every single state, you'll be on someone's radar. You'll need to change your appearance frequently and be on the move constantly. You won't be able to settle down anywhere for too long. I don't think you've-." I cut him off, taking a seat beside him as I clasp my hands together and stare him dead in the eyes.

"I've thought about this a million times over, Enzo. This is the only way. It's theonly thing I know and the only thing I'm good at. Once I go through with it. No one is going to look for us. We're going to disappearand it's going to be fine." I reassure him, watching as he exhales heavily and gets up from the bed, handing me everything I need.

"If you need anything at all. Anything ever. Don't be afraid to call me. Even if you need a new place to stay, call me and I'll come get you. No matter what time of day or anything. I have some more friends that can house you too if the first one's don't work out." I watch as he headstowards the door, slinging his bag over his shoulder and grabbing his suitcase.

"Enzo, do they know that I'm coming? Your friends?" He nods his head, inhaling sharply as he says simply. "You can trust them, Elena. I met them both in college and they are good people. I didn't tell them too much about who you are. I just said that you need some help. I've let them know when you'll be there. All you need to do is go to the cabin in Colorado, the one they own. The address is on the piece of paper I gave toyou. Be careful and be safe. Also, be fucking smart about this, Elena." He reminds me, taking a step away from the door again and walking directly to me. I watch him bend down as he leaves a quick kiss on my forehead while whispering softly. "We'll see each other again, soon. I promise. Be careful out there."

Bonnie

72 hours later…...

"Momma! Momma!" Addison shouts out as I walk around the kitchen, trying to make a quick dinner for Damon because I know how hungry he'll be once he gets home.

"Honey," I pause as I bend down and run my wet midly soapy hands through her hair. "Baby, can you go outside and play for a bit while I make dinner?" She nods as I remind her to stay in eye sight so that I can see her playing outside on the small basketball court that Damon made for her in the front lawn.

"Okay!" Addison shouts, pulling her right arm through the sleeves of her dark purple and white flower covered jacket, placing each of her hands into a pair of knitted pink gloves. "Be careful." I comment softly, smiling to myself as I turn around and pour myself a glass of red wine, turning up the music and swaying to it as I watch Addison carefully slip on her shoes, grabbing her basketball and exiting out of the front door as she shouts. "Love you, momma!"

I watch her for a while, she's throwing the ball up at the hoop and she keeps missing it. I shout out at her to be careful and try not to let the ball go into the street. After about twenty minutes of watching her, I go back to fixing up dinner for us, until the phone rings and Damon calls, distracting me for a bit.

"Hey, babe. I'm going to be staying a little longer than I had thought I would be." He tells me in an apologetic tone as I exhale deeply, turning my back to the window where I can see Addison clearly. I hear a few cars pass by the house as I talk to Damon on the phone and as I glance out the window, I notice that I can't see her anymore. She's probably ran after that damn ball. I think to myself.

"Damon, hang on. I need to go out and check on Addy. I think the ball she was playing with might have ran off after I told her to not go into the street after it if it does." He tells me that he needs to get going too and that he'll call me later when he's on his way home.

"Okay. I love you." I comment, hearing him say it back as I hang up the phone. Wiping my hands off of the kitchen towel near me and walking out to check up on Addison, my stomach is suddenly uneasy and in knots. Something doesn't feel right. Something's wrong.

The moment the cold air hits my face and I don't hear her usual giggling in the front lawn, my heart stops and I rush outside. My eyes are darting around, searching frantically and screaming out my daughter's name. I only make it half way to the end of our driveway before I find it, her pink colored gloves that my grandmother had knitted for her last winter; tossed on the rain soaked ground.

Running back into the house as I heave out a breath, my trembling fingers dial Damon's phone number. Before my husband can even say a quick "Hello." My wailing cries and frantic pleas fill his ears as I fall on to the tiles of our kitchen floor; shouting out. "Someone took, Addison! Someone took our daughter! Someone kidnapped my baby, Damon!."

A/N: Well, everything is about to go to shit in this story. Honestly...I don't know what else to say. Buckle up, guys...Shit is about to get really intense.

Until Next Time!


	20. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. AH. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows.What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games?(Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Mentions of Datherine)

A/N: Previously on Dangerous Minds...

"Okay. I love you." I comment, hearing him say it back as I hang up the phone. Wiping my hands off of the kitchen towel near me and walking out to check up on Addison, my stomach is suddenly uneasy and in knots. Something doesn't feel right. Something's wrong.

The moment the cold air hits my face and I don't hear her usual giggling in the front lawn, my heart stops and I rush outside. My eyes are darting around, searching frantically and screaming out my daughter's name. I only make it half way to the end of our driveway before I find it, her pink colored gloves that my grandmother had knitted for her last winter; tossed on the rain soaked ground.

Running back into the house as I heave out a breath, my trembling fingers dial Damon's phone number. Before my husband can even say a quick "Hello." My wailing cries and frantic pleas fill his ears as I fall on to the tiles of our kitchen floor; shouting out. "Someone took, Addison! Someone took our daughter! Someone kidnapped my baby, Damon!"

I must say that it's been ages since I've updated. I am really sorry about that, life has just really been busy for me. However, I am slowly getting back to updating things. So, I hope that I still have some readers out there! :)

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-One

-Elena-

Missing: 72 hours.

"Ma'am!" I cringe at the sound of her shrilly echoing voice as I tighten my grasp around the little brunette girl's hand. Her eyes are confused and filled with fear as she remains silent while the waitress in her tight pair of 7 jeans and a thin white tank top walks up to me and hands me back my credit card with a concerned look on her face.

"Ms. Augustine. You seemed to have forgotten your credit card inside our restaurant." She comments, smiling sweetly at Addison as she bends down and locks eyes with her.

"What's your name, sweetie?" The grip I have on Addison's hand tightens just a bit more while I clear my throat and try to interrupt this sudden game of "let's get to know each other."

"Ad-" I interrupt her before she can even finish the rest of her response. Glancing down at the watch on my left wrist, I smile back at the blonde waitress and dismiss her. "We should get going, look at the time!" Pivoting on my heels, I pick Addison up into my arms and hold her against me while walking back to the car, telling the lady that I really do appreciate her giving back my credit card as the image of her standing behind us fades away and I place Addison to her feet again. Once in the car, I lock the doors and sink into my seat.

"I want my mommy!" She begins to shout, kicking the back of my seat. It's a little past 8:30pm in Little Rock, Arkansas and after spending the day, figuring out my next move. I've started to run out of ideas. Maybe this was a mistake- kidnapping my own daughter? What kind of mother am I for ripping her away from the only family she's ever known? What kind of person am I?

I'll tell you what kind of person I am. I'm someone who didn't have the chance to see her first birthday, someone who missed all those special milestones in her daughter's life. Mostly, I'm a mother. I am her mother and I haven't been able to forgive myself for being forced to walk away from her. After everything happened with Stefan's parents. I've had dreams of her at different ages and I've regretted so much of the time that we've lost together. I'm desperate to have her in my life and I'd do anything. Anything at all to keep my little girl with me- with her real mother.

Addison keeps crying and kicking the back of my seat as I drive us a few miles away from the diner, stopping on a rural road after a few minutes because her tantrum is becoming excessively too much for me to handle. "I WANT MY MOMMY!" She chants, shouting out how stupid I am and how much she hates me.

Despite her angry protests, the minute I turn to face her, she stops and gawks at me.

"You're not my mommy and I want my mommy. Her name is Bonnie!" She screams, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her little arms around her legs.

Exhaling heavily, I close my eyes for a moment. I need to remind myself that I'm dealing with a little girl and not an adult. "I know that you want to see your moth-." I can't even say the word. The idea of my little girl calling someone else her mother besides me, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Looking at her straight in the eyes as they begin to fill with tears and the need of comfort, I inhale deeply through my nose. "Addison, I know that you miss Bonnie. But, I promise that you'll see her soon. I promise that you're safe with me. I would never do anything to hurt you, Addison Marie." The way I say her name in the moment makes me choke up. It's been years since I've been able to say it in the way I am now, calmly, in a loving tone. God, I've missed her. I have missed her so much.

She watches carefully as I extend out my arm towards her face, wiping away her dripping tears with my hand. "I'm sleepy." She says, softening the tone in her voice.

"Okay, let's go find us a place to sleep." Nodding, I turn my attention back towards the road as I think about our next stop. A motel room with a comfortable bed, a bed and breakfast somewhere off the beaten path sounds just right as I watch the bright lights of oncoming traffic glare into my eyes. This wasn't my original plan, to take her away from Bonnie in the way that I've done. I thought about knocking on their door and asking to see Addison, a million times. Yet, with this warrant over my head and the FBI wanting me. I knew that none of that would have ever been realistic enough to do. My heart breaks a little as I think about what I must have done to her, how much I hurt Bonnie and Damon with doing this- taking Addison. Taking my daughter back, no matter who got hurt in the process.

-Damon-

"She's gone." I can hear my wife helplessly whisper as she has her back turned away from me, staring at the flowers outside of our bedroom window. "She's gone." Bonnie repeats again, almost as if it's this mantra that she's made herself believe in the last 72 hours and 34 minutes that Addison has been missing.

Bonnie flinches as I caress her arm and watch when she slowly turns towards me. Her dark eyes are filled with unshed tears as she clutches onto my arm and pulls me down beside her. Choking sobs escape past her lips when she buries her face into the curve of my neck. My arms wrap around her protectively while I hold her without saying anything until she does first. Through gargling cries against me. "I just want her to be found. Damon, please. Please, I've never wanted anything more in this moment than I want this right now. Please, bring my baby home. Bring Addison home. Find her, Damon. I know that you can. I know that you can find Addison and whoever did this, I know it!"

I can't bear to see Bonnie this broken up inside. I swallow down my own sorrows, remaining strong for the both of us as my right hand caresses her back and I watch her tired looking eyes begin to shut. "Promise me that you'll find her. Damon, promise me that you'll bring our little girl home." Her voice tapers off as I lean towards her cheek and kiss her dampened face. "I promise, baby. I will do everything in my power to bring her back to you." I don't want to leave her alone. So, I pull her close and hold her against my chest, pushing back her hair gently with my fingers. I miss her as much as Bonnie does. But, I can't even begin to feel what my wife is feeling.

"Talk to me." I urge, feeling her body begin to shake against me as she glances up at me with tearful eyes. "I can't." She replies brokenly, placing her hand against my chest as she feels my heartbeat and I hear her exhale heavily. "I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my body. I can't sleep without thinking where she's sleeping, I can't eat without thinking if she's had enough to eat….I want my daughter back, Damon. I want her back in my arms where she belongs and I want whoever took her to suffer the deepest of consequences for making me feel so much hurt and pain." Bonnie says, resting her head against my chest as she starts to cry again and I hold her tightly, stroking my arm up and down the side of her body, silently praying that Addison's still out there, that she's still alive.

-Ella-

"She did this!" I hear him scream, trashing the files around his apartment as he tears down the news clippings on the walls in one of his spare bedrooms and then I watch as he walks back into the living room, kicking the file folders with his feet.

"You can't be sure that it's her, Stefan. It could have been anyone." I try to ease his anxious demeanor as he glances up at me with a furious expression on his face. I can see the lines of anger creasing on his forehead as his green eyes lock on to me and he spits out. "I don't want anyone defending her. She needs to be found and she needs to fucking stop running. It's been six fucking years and she's still running. It needs to end and it needs to end now!"

Bending down, I pick up one of the files that's flown below my black boots, I hold it in my hands for a little while, realizing that it's not an article or something linking her to the FBI as everything else that he has in his apartment seems to be. Taking a better look, I notice her eyes first, the smile on their faces as an image of a much younger Stefan Salvatore leans down and kisses the baby in the picture and she holds her tightly. I read the back of it. "I love you, Stefan. No matter where you are or where life takes us. I will love you and Addy until the end of time." – Yours always, Elena. They were a family once, ripped apart by uncertainty and others meddling in their lives. He was a young man that loved a young girl and wanted nothing more than to be with her. I know from experience what that feels like. Stefan's got his face in his hands as he rubs his palms vigorously against his tired eyes. He's been awake for 24 hours, desperately waiting for a word regarding his missing little girl. Now it all makes sense to me. Why he's kept everything of hers, why he's been tracking her. Stefan seems to not want her back. Yet, he still holds out hope that may be one day she'll come back to him- regretful and broken. Just as he seems to still be about her.

"I know that she's yours. The little girl, that's missing. She's not Bonnie or Damon's daughter. Addison Marie is your little girl." I swallow the lump forming in my throat as I point out my conclusion. "You were in love with Elena and she loved you too. You both had a daughter together and a lot of bad things happened. Because of that, Bonnie and Damon had been raising her as their own." He cuts me off with a wave of his hand and a daring look. What I say next seems to surprise us both because the way he looks at me makes my body tense up. "You know Elena better than anyone in this game that we're playing with her. Better than your brother or our whole FBI unit that's been relentlessly going after her. So, can I suggest something?"

Stefan huffs out a breath, runs his hands through his hair and tirelessly leans back into the couch cushions as he looks up at the ceiling. He rests his hand on to my thigh. While he speaks, I sit down and hear him interrupting my thoughts. "I loved her. I was crazy about her and Addison, our daughter. You're right, Ella. I wanted us to be a family. But, my own flesh and blood. My own family ruined it all for us. They took Addison away from me first and then they took Elena away from me too. I was left with nothing to love anymore." I watch a few tears begin rolling down his cheeks as he grits his teeth and then explains further. "But, now I feel like I've been chasing a ghost. The girl I once knew doesn't exist anymore and this woman who has my daughter. She needs to be found and she needs to be stopped. This isn't my Elena. She'd never do anything like this."

"Right, that's why I-." Again, Stefan stops me from finishing my sentence as he turns his head to look over at me with a tired facial expression and saddened leaf green eyes. "I want to go after her alone. I want to find Elena by myself and I'm going to need your help because I'd be going against every rule and regulation within the FBI. I want my face to be the first one she see's when I find my daughter."

"Stefan…Do you realize how dangerous that could be?" I ask him as he nods, scoffing a little at me before he states with a serious tone. "If you cared about me at all. You'd agreed to help me. You wouldn't hesitate one bit. Now," I hear him pause while pushing himself up from the couch and taking the picture that I've been holding on to in my hands. "We're chasing a ghost. Someone who doesn't want to be found. We can't be thinking like the FBI agents that we are, Ella. We need to start thinking like the criminal she is. So, what do you say. Are you with me or not?"

I'm frozen in place when he asks me to help me. My heart is pounding against my chest; I can't fully catch my breath. But, the adrenaline rush I feel pushes me to say the only thing that seems logical within the moment. "Yes, I'll help you find her. I promise that I'll be with you every step of the way until that little girl is back in your arms. Until she's with her father, where she belongs."

A/N: Oh Elena...Oh now you've done it! Also, Ellla and Stefan!? hmmm...

Please leave me some love and review!

Thanks so much for reading! :)


	21. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. AH. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows.What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games?(Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Mentions of Datherine)

A/N: Hey all! I am so happy that so many of you are still enjoying this story. I'm finally back into writing and updating my stories. So, hopefully you all won't have to wait so long now until I update again! :)

Dangerous Minds : Chapter Twenty- Two

Stefan

When Damon and I were younger and in our teens that we'd never really dreamt of doing this job. Hell, I had wanted to be a fighter pilot and travel the world. Even throughout my training at Quantico I had wanted to work within the Central Intelligence Agency. I wanted to be someone else so badly during those years that I drown myself into my work that I became so career focused, nothing else mattered. I remember the first two years were the hardest because I was still getting used to the idea of my brother raising my daughter as his own. I hated him for it. Watching him parenting my infant daughter was like a bullet to the heart every single day, that eventually I gave up my rights and paved the way for her to be Bonnie and Damon's fully.

Damon and I hadn't talked in months during the first few months that he and Bonnie were fostering Addison and it only became worse when the adoption went through. The first few years after Elena left, I was scrambling to pick up the pieces of my deteriorating life. That time left a lasting impact on me for years to come.

Closing my eyes as I lay in the darkness of my bedroom seem to always bring up these unforgotten memories that haunt my very soul. I wish I could turn back the clock and change so many things, yet there are a lot of things that I know need to stay the way they are. I guess you can say my biggest regret is giving up my little girl and watching her being raised by my brother and his wife. Yet, Bonnie and Damon are two of the best people that she could have ended up with. I still regret not being more involved with Addison's development and her life though. I think I'll always regret that.

Pressing my cold palms against my face, I rub them vigorously. I can't shake this emptiness and guilt. My mind races as I turn to my side and close my eyes, all I can seem to picture is a young and smiling, foolishly beautiful teenage version of Elena Gilbert. I feel myself drifting into a light sleep as I get a clearer picture of her. She's got a peach colored dress on, extending out her hand to me and telling me that it's okay, that I should come with her. The darkness can be a bit startling when your mind comes to a revelation of sorts. "Come with me, Stefan. It's alright." She encourages, grabbing a hold of my cold hand as she giggles and I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a store front window. I look about the same, just much younger and less stress ridden. I'm eighteen years old again and so is she. We're two carefree teenagers, in love and with no cares in the world. We stop at a park bench and she sits beside me, placing her head against my shoulder, the cool summer wind blows her dark brown hair around and I inhale her scent, realizing how much I've been longing for her.

As quickly as the carefree mood became apparent, it changes when Elena grabs a hold of my hand tightly and she leans towards my lips whispering ever so softly. "You'll never forgive me for what I've done. I know that. But, I can't stop now, Stefan." Her eyes are glazed over with tears when she leans into me and kisses my lips, hungrily and feverishly, she kisses me. I pull her closer and closer- never once wanting to let her go. One of her palms is pressed against my chest, the other hand is pressed against mine as she moans into my mouth before pulling away. My left hand caresses her cheek and my eyes lock onto her as she smiles at me and just as I open my mouth to say something, anything at all.

Everything, including her. Every single thing, fades to black and I'm pulled back into the cold darkness again. Gasping for air, I wake up in a pool of my own cold sweat. Another dream, another tormenting memory of the girl that I had thought would be mine forever. However, life never seems to really give us everything we want and it never seems fair. Rubbing the sleepiness away from my eyes, I glance over at my alarm clock as it reads 2:30am in bold red letters. It's probably too late to text my brother. But, something tells me that he's not doing much sleeping either. Opting to call him instead, I pull myself out of bed and stumble into the living room, my iphone glued to my ear the whole way.

"Stefan? Do you know what fucking time it is!" He snarls out angrily. I know he's mad at me on some hand and on the other, he's even more pissed off about what's happened in the last 72 hours.

"I know and I'm sorry. I just, I can't sleep and I've been thinking about Addison. Damon," Clearing my throat, he inhales sharply, yawning away the sleepy rasp in his voice.

"What? You know that we can't talk about this, Stefan. I just had to drug my damn wife to get her to calm down. Bonnie is beside herself and the only way I could get her to calm down is to give her a sleeping pill. Stefan, she blames herself and we both know that she is far from blaming for what happened." He tells me as I agree. Bonnie isn't to blame whatsoever for what happened, it was an innocent thing she did. My brother's wife without a doubt is an amazing mother to my daughter- I could never disagree with that.

"Damon, I'm sorry for what you and her must be going through. But, I've been thinking over the last few hours about who would have a motive against us. Against you, Bonnie or myself. And-." He cuts me off, scoffing.

"So, you've been busy playing a nightly detective instead of being in the office and assembling a team to find her! What the fuck is wrong with you, Stefan? You are her biological father! You should be out there, working just as hard as me to find our little girl! Actually, you should be working even harder than me!" He nearly yells into the receiver as I push it away from my ear and look around my darkened apartment. If only he knew the tormented memories and guilt I live with on a daily basis. If only my own brother knew how much I have wanted to reverse the clock and change almost every choice I had made in these last few years. Had I been a lot more responsible and more prepared. I could have been raising my daughter as my own and I wouldn't have had to be seen in her beautiful eyes as "Uncle Stefan."

"Listen to me, Damon. That's why I'm calling." I lick my chapped bottom lip, reminding myself that I really need to start taking more care of myself and my body. I'm exhausted and feeling sick to my stomach as I lean back into the couch cushions behind me while I continue on. "I'm going after her, Damon. I know it's crazy and I probably shouldn't even be telling you this. But, I'm going to put a stop to Elena and to this game that she's got us tied into."

Damon must think I'm insane because he's quiet for a long time before he confusingly asks what in the hell I'm even talking about. Clarifying, I tell him of my dream and how I'd seemed to loosely put the pieces together of who Addison's kidnapper is. "That's too farfetched and obviously, you're crazy." He says to me as I shake my head. My gut instinct tells me that I shouldn't let this go, everything points to her.

"You're trying to sell me on the idea that Elena is Addison's kidnapper at 2:30 in the morning. Have you lost your mind?" He asks, doubting me and this whole idea as I begin to start second guessing myself too. Maybe I'm wrong. Elena kidnapping her own daughter? Why would she do this now? Why six years later?

Something pushes me further with the idea and I decide to firmly stick to my beliefs, I tell him once again. "Damon, without a doubt in my mind. It's her, it has to be and I'm going to put a stop to her and to this. Once in for all. I'm going to hunt her until I find her and once I do find her. Elena's going to wish that she had stayed out of sight." I comment, imagining the reunion in my mind and how I can't wait for the moment that this ruthless version of Elena Gilbert is placed into a prison cell with handcuffs around her wrists.

-Katherine-

"Tell me we have a lead!" I shout out, bursting through the doors of the FBI offices while Kol and Elijah glance up at me through tired and clearly heavy looking eyelids. They've probably been up all night, piecing everything together. That's my guess since my husband didn't even come home!

"We've got nothing solid." Kol yawns, coming from behind me and wrapping his arms around me. Kol pulls me close as he kisses my neck and tells me how much he's missed me in the last few hours. I turn around in his arms, smiling. "I've missed you too. Although, I understand that this needs to be your top priority as well as mine. We need to find Addison Salvatore and we need to find her alive."

"You know," Hayley starts to say, walking in with a large coffee mug. I watch her place it on to Elijah's desk with a bit of force as the noise causes her husband to jolt himself awake. "I'm up!" He shouts, inhaling deeply while Hayley waves at him, a pissed off expression spreading across her face. "Honey," She starts to say, clearing her throat and crossing her arms while taking a seat on the edge of his desk.

"I was wondering, Elijah. When are you going to come home and share a bed with me again? You know, this whole being married thing. It can't be done by one person when two people need to be equally involved." He laughs, rubbing away the sleepiness from his eyes as she watches him point back to the stack of papers behind him.

"Well, wife. Unless you want to help me. I guess you stop your bitching!" He tells her with a snippy tone. Kol and I stand beside each other when I hear him laugh and Hayley puffs out a breath, pivoting away from her husband as she tosses a small pastry bag on to his desk as she states. "Enjoy your breakfast alone. I've got other things to do."

I feel Kol nudge my shoulder while he leans into me and says. "Promise me that we'll never be like them. Let's not let our jobs take such a front seat in our lives and our marriage take a back seat." I nod, smiling and quietly being thankful at how lucky I am to know Kol.

"We're never going to end up like them. Because in a few months, this job won't be my main priority anymore. It's going to be our baby." I blurt out, causing Kol to take a step back from me, his eyes glued to my face as he tries to comprehend what I'd just said.

"Baby?" He asks loudly, forcing me to announce in an even louder tone so that no one around us hears the news that I'd been trying to keep quiet for a few weeks now. "Alright boys, let's get to work!" Kol watches me as I slam down the missing person's poster of Addison onto the white board in our meeting room and I tell everyone to gather around. "Okay team. As many of you know, we're searching for a little girl. Age is 6 years old. Brown hair and dark brown eyes, she goes by the nickname of Addy. Although her birth name is Addison Marie Salvatore…"

"Salvatore?" One of the task force agent's questions as I nod my head.

"Yes, she's related to both Damon and Stefan Salvatore. That's why her case is so urgent. Addison Marie was last seen playing outside on her front lawn at Damon Salvatore's home where she resides with him and his wife. They're her legal guardians. Now, it's believed that someone was watching the family before the kidnapping happened and the only person we have as a potential suspect is this woman…" My voice trails off as I glance over to Kol who looks as if he's starting to turn ten shades of ghostly white from my little announcement earlier. Good thing I called on him to help me, maybe this will help him regain the color in his face sooner rather than later.

He stops, fumbling with the paper in his hands before he looks at the few people who are still filing into the room when he states. "The potential abductor is Elena Gilbert. A known criminal that is currently on our top ten most wanted list and now, she's moved from ten to number 3. Elena's dangerous, probably working with a lot of accomplices and, she knows Addison very well."

"What's the link to the little girl? Between Elena and Addison?" We all hear someone else ask as Elijah walks in and confirms something that many of us within the small circle have already known. "She's Addison Salvatore's biological mother. And, we believe that Addison is in danger while with her. So, we need to find her before Elena becomes too careless with her own life and the little girl's."

-Enzo-

"North Dakota?" She huffs out, pulling a thick red colored jacket over her thin white t-shirt. Elena looks around and up at the house where I've asked her to meet me. It's a 1920's ranch style house on a vastly large 20-acre property filled with horses and wild barn cats and dogs.

"Yes, Finley, North Dakota. Population's around 446 people in this rural farming town. If you ask me, it's the perfect place to disappear or-." A voice from behind me cuts off my thoughts as he walks up behind me and slaps my shoulder.

"Unfucking believable! Enzo Saint John! I thought you were kidding when you said you were coming to town." He says, I watch as Elena gives him and myself a perplexed look. Just as I begin to introduce her to my old friend, we turn around to watch a blonde with curly hair run out from the house and straight towards us. I'm smiling foolishly as she runs into my arms and gives me a hug. "Enzo!" She shouts, hugging me tightly as she laughs and then takes a step back. Elena can't seem to keep her eyes off of them while we head back towards the house. The blonde stops though, turning back to the car while she watches Elena carry a sleepy little girl into her arms. "I got her." She says, refusing help from anyone as she brushes past me and goes directly into the house without any sort of introduction to either one of my friends.

Minutes seem to go by faster than I had expected as I help find an empty room for Elena to place a sleeping Addison in. Closing the door behind me, I can see the sheer panic and anger in her eyes as she presses me against the closed door and she whispers in an irate tone. "You son of bitch! How dare you bring me to their house! You said that these people were your friends! You said that-." Cutting her off, I place my hand on to her shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"They are my friends. I met them on a trip to Rio a few years ago, Elena. I had no idea of the connection between you or them…" My voice trails off as she rolls her eyes and pushes herself away from me, glaring all the while.

"You didn't know? Enzo! That is a bunch of bullshit! How could you have not known about the connection? You know everything about me! About who I was before, about my past." She tries to tell me as I shrug my shoulders back, trying to calm her down so that we don't wake up the little girl with our bickering.

"I swear that-." The slow opening of the bedroom door stops our argument as the young man from earlier pops his head inside of the room and he softly says. "There you two are! We were looking for you. Come on now, my wife hates it when her guests skip dinner. Believe me, no one wants to keep the misses waiting." He winks, patting me on the shoulder as he looks past me and towards Elena. A small smile spreading across his face as he looks her over and then before Elena can even speak, he pulls her into a tight hug while he says in a broken tone. "I knew that I recognized you from earlier. I wasn't too sure before. But, looking at you now, I remember you now. I can't believe it's you, Elena. I can't believe that you're alive."

I stand near the doorway as she pushes away from him, shakenly stating his name as if she's just seen a ghost from her past that she's been fighting to keep buried after all these years. "Tyler? Is it really you?"

He nods, caressing her cheek as he smiles softly at her, remembering the brief connection they had as teenagers. Maybe it's an attempt to ease her fears too because what he says next makes Elena seem to relax a bit. "I promise that you, Enzo and the little girl are safe here with us. Elena, I promise that Caroline and I would never do anything to jeopardize this for you. Believe me, you're not in a house full of saints. Elena, everyone here is a sinner."

A/N: So...Did anyone see that twist coming...Tyler and Caroline...Woah! ;)

Please leave me a review and thanks so much for reading!


	22. Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: Thank you all so much for leaving me reviews, I really appreciate it. :) Enjoy & thanks so much for reading!

Dangerous Minds: Chapter Twenty- Three

Elena

I'm a known criminal in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of God, I'm just as Tyler had said- a sinner.

He stares at me for a long time from across the table, Caroline seems to do the same. She fidgets in her chair for a moment, placing her hands underneath her chin as she looks me over. "You don't seem much different from when we were teenagers…" Her voice trails off, probably regretting her words almost instantly. Because, she and I both know that I'm a lot more different than I was when I was a teenager. Young Elena Gilbert died the day she got into the car accident on the bridge and then she died again for the last time when she had to give up her beautiful daughter. Needless to say, I'm a very different person now. A lot rougher around the edges and a lot less trusting.

"A lot of things have changed since then." Is all I say to her as she coughs out a breath and looks back at her husband, Tyler. My mind races as to how they had gotten together so soon after my disappearance from Mystic Falls. But, Caroline quickly clarifies things for me when she says in a soft tone. "Elena, Mystic Falls was a town in an uproar after everyone thought you were dead. I mean, my own mother created a search party for you and we looked everywhere. During that time, the people you left behind. Like, Tyler and myself grew closer and closer every day. Stefan had done a lot too…." Her voice trails off as I nod my head back at her, suddenly getting up from the table and inhaling sharply as my mind turns back to the business at hand. "I didn't come here to reminisce with the two of you about how things used to be. Honestly, I just want to ensure that you both understand what will happen with me staying here and if anyone finds out about it. I mean, you'd both be implicated in my crime, mostly with harboring a fugitive with can result in a number of years in prison."

"We've already been briefed on what could happen to us. Elena, we know about your past and we're on your side. Both Tyler and I think that what happened to you and Addy was completely unfair. Stefan's parents shouldn't have done what they did to you. They're to blame for all of this. His mother and his father took your little girl away from you and acted viciously towards you and him. Honestly, I don't understand why he even still speaks with them." Caroline says, leaning back into her chair as Tyler suddenly gets up, clearing his throat before he speaks. "I just want you to know that you and your daughter are safe here. Elena, consider this your safe house. We barely speak to Stefan anymore. Not since he joined the FBI. Which was years ago."

Katherine

"Pregnant?" Kol shouts after me, watching as I saunter out of the room and back towards the parking lot. We got our assignments and mine is to go through a paper trail of Elena Gilbert's past crimes, starting with her most recent heist in Italy just a few months before she fell off the radar.

"I'm going home to look these over." I tell him, trying to play it off as if I didn't say much at all in the conference room. But, Kol won't have it as he stands in front of me and slams my car door shut. I watch him lean against it instead, crossing his arms over his chest as he places his hand on to my flat stomach.

"Tell me that you want this baby. Katherine, please." I can see the helplessness in his eyes, he's worried that the stress of this job will be too much on me and that something bad could happen. But, by grabbing his hand and locking my eyes on to him, I reassure him that things are just fine. "I do want this little bean of ours, Kol. I promise that nothing bad will happen to me or our child." Leaning in towards his face, I leave a quick kiss upon his lips as we both hear a sudden rush outside into the parking lot and notice that a lot of familiar faces are geared up and leaving in a rapid speed. Kol and I stand against my car as we see Damon rushing past us and I shout out to him.

He stops for a moment, readjusting his gun holster as he breathes out a deep breath before he says in a nearly victorious tone. "We got a lead! Our first solid tip came from a waitress in Bismarck, North Dakota just a little bit ago. She said that a few days ago, there was a woman and a little girl in their restaurant and she was watching the news tonight and she recognized the little girl's facial features." Damon comments, catching his breath as I look up to see Elijah walking over to me and Kol.

"Katherine and Kol. You both need to come with me." He says in a stern tone, patting Damon on the shoulder as I turn around to ask where he's headed off too so quickly.

"We're sending Damon and Klaus to North Dakota to interview the woman, just to make sure we've got a positive ID. The rest of you are staying here to go over more of Elena's files. This lead of ours could mean absolutely nothing. Or, it could change everything." He informs us both as Kol leans in to me and whispers softly into my ear. "I have a feeling that this is going to change everything."

Stefan

"You look like you could use a drink." Ella says, sliding her hand against my back as I glance over to notice that she's got a bottle of my favorite whiskey in her hands, smirking at me.

"It's been a long day at work…" I comment, my words trailing off as Ella sits beside me on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her while she pours us both a glass and hands me one.

"Ella," I begin to say, sipping on the Glenmorangie Whiskey in my hands. It tastes like heaven and part of me is hoping that this will wash away all the worries I have about this new tip we'd gotten in. I'm praying that it's going to lead us to finally breaking this case wide open and me coming face to face with Elena.

"Damon was right about me not getting too involved in this whole case. But, I swear that I want to be the one to arrest her and charge her with aggravated assault on a FBI agent, murder of an informant and now, kidnapping of our own little girl and evading the law." She takes a sip of her drink, placing her hand against the back of the couch as the smell of the strong liquor surrounds us both and as she speaks, I can smell it on her breath. "You know, this whiskey is 25 years old and a bottle of it is around $700 dollars. Your brother gave it me after I broke my very first case with the FBI." She says in a reminiscent tone, taking another sip before she puts her glass down. I watch her carefully, leaning back into the couch cushions as I lick my lips and sigh out a breath. Ella moves a bit closer to me, suddenly grabbing my hand into hers as she caresses my arm and smiles at me with an innocent glance. "Stefan, you're going to find her and you are going to be the one to put those handcuffs around her wrists. I know that. Because, you never give up on anything you set your mind to. You've been through hell and yet you're still standing. To be honest, that's very admirable in a man."

Hours seem to pass by as I think about her words and we sit on my couch, laughing and talking about everything from work to our past relationships. But, I can't get her words out of my head when she called me admirable for still having my shit together even after everything I've been through. "You really think that I'm admirable?" I ask her out of nowhere, turning to face her as Ella buries her face into her hair like a little girl, giggling while she nods her head. I can't help but smile too. After all the heartbreak and heart ache surrounding Elena and our relationship together. Ella is like a breath of fresh air to me. She's funny and kind, sexy and a smart girl. She's everything Elena used to be and now, isn't. I move a strand of her hair out of the way, focusing on her face as I feel a warm rush come over me. Maybe it's from the almost two hours of us sitting and drinking already or maybe it's something else in the air between us, an unseen tension perhaps?

Caressing her cheek, Ella closes her eyes and leans into the palm of my hand, whispering softly as she says in a quiet voice. "Stefan, I know how you feel about me. But, we shouldn't."

I move in closer, the smell of booze is on her breath as our lips are just inches away from each other and I smile at her while my thumb rubs her skin, whispering against her lips right before I kiss her gently. "Maybe, we should."

She takes in a deep breath as my hand touches her neck, the gentle caress sending a shiver down her spine. I could see it in her eyes, Ella couldn't lie to herself anymore, there was always something between us. Even when we had just been sleeping together without any strings attached. Ella still looked at me as a potential long term dating partner. Of course there were my feelings for Elena deep down and she knew for a fact that I still loved the girl. But, Ella also knew that the Elena which I longed for, was long ago and had turned into a ruthless and complete unforgiving person.

I pull her body closer as she comes to sit on my lap, straddling me while I kiss her neck, moving my hands and mouth down until I reach her t-shirt. Ella's breathing heavily, rolling her hips into me as she presses her body more firmly against mine and pushes me deeper into the couch cushions. My hand rested against the small of her back as the other hand slowly lifts up her shirt. Once her shirt's off, I can feel her work on getting my shirt off, her hand slipping underneath it as her fingertips dance across my skin, she smiles to herself as I laugh when she kisses my bare shoulder, burying her face into the curve of my neck. I place my arm underneath her butt, hoisting her into my arms, she laughs a little louder as I kiss her lips and speak against them. "You're going to get me into a lot of trouble." Warning her in a playful tone as she locks her eyes on to me with a smirk, she replies. "Well, at least it'll be worth it."

On wobbly leg's I hold her in my arms, knocking over a lap as we both laugh when it crashed to the ground. "Where are we going again?" She hears me ask, my rough fingers caressing her collarbone as she moves her long hair out of her eyes and shakes her head reminding me. "I think we were heading to your bedroom so that you could take off the rest of my clothes."

I can feel the glasses of whiskey finally kick in. My speech is starting to slur and every step I take, becomes a little shakier as I sudden stop us in the hallway, pressing Ella's back into the wall. Kissing her neck and dragging my teeth gently across her skin while working my warm lips towards her mouth as her breathing becomes a bit deeper and irregular. My arms lift hers above her head while her legs slide down from my pelvis and her feet hit the ground. "Stefan," Ella moans out, arching her body forward while she feels my hand slip down her back and I begin unclasping her bra, tossing it eventually on to the floor.

"I don't think you'll need that anytime soon." I comment in a joking tone, taking her hand into mine as I step away from the wall and begin walking towards my bedroom. However, Ella pulls me back in, wrapping her arms around me tightly as her bare chest presses against mine and she looks up at me with anticipation and desire within her eyes while she pulls me in for another kiss while she tugs on my pants, after she declares. "Believe me, after we're done here. You won't need these either. Besides, I like seeing you naked a lot better. You're a lot sexier."

Damon

"Tiffany," I begin to say, clearing my throat as she nods at Klaus and I, taking us back to her boss's office.

"I had saw the picture on the news and I thought that her face looked familiar." Tiffany, the waitress from the apparent restaurant that Elena and Addison had stopped at says as she shuts the door behind us and I extend out my hand to her, introducing myself properly. "I'm Agent Damon Salvatore and this is my partner Agent Klaus Mikaelson. So, Tiffany, please take a seat and we'd like to ask you a few questions regarding this particular matter."

I watch as the older woman with her tanned skin and bleach blonde hair pushes her glasses back from the tip of her nose as Klaus places Elena's folder onto the desk in front of us and takes out Elena's picture. He fidgets in his seat for a moment, glancing it over in his hands before he turns it to Tiffany and asks in a serious tone. "Now, Mrs. Allard. I want you to take a good look at this picture and tell me if you recognize this woman? Was she the same person that one of your co-workers helped on the day of April 16th?"

Tiffany's shaking hands take the picture and we both watch as she examines it carefully, exhaling deeply before she speaks. "She's the same woman. She had the little girl with her. Although, her hair colored was much lighter and so was the little girl's. I think she must have dyed it, in hopes of not being recognized." Tiffany confirms as I glance over at Klaus, nudging his shoulder.

"Well, Tiffany. Thank you for your time. Here is my card and I'll be in touch." I comment, handing her one of my business cards as Klaus and I both get up from our seats and move to exit the room. Tiffany stands up as well, leaning her hands against the desk as she asks in a curious tone. "Agent Salvatore?"

Turning around, I smile at her, waiting for her to speak. "What did the woman do? I mean, my waitress said that the little girl whom was with her seemed very uncomfortable and scared. So, I'm just curious. Is the little girl in any danger?"

I swallow the lump forming in my throat as Klaus glances up at me and finishes my sentence. "Mrs. Allard. She's a very dangerous woman and we can use all the help we can get. Honestly, I hope and pray that she doesn't harm the little girl. However, nothing is certain." Tiffany nods her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she gives us a sorrowful look.

"My son was kidnapped years ago and they found his body just miles away from my home. So, if I can help you in any way to find this woman and find the girl alive. Please, let me know." Klaus and I look at her and nod, finally leaving the room without another word as we head out back to the parking lot. Once to the car, he looks over at me and licks his bottom lip. "Damon?" He asks as I unlock the car door and look up at him with a curious glance.

"Do you think she's still in the area? Do you think this is all going to end soon? I mean, it's gone on long enough. We need to find Addy and we need to bring her home." Klaus tells me as I deeply sigh out a breath. My heart breaks for everyone involved as I think about Bonnie. I had called my wife just last night to speak with her and she refused to talk to me about it at all. "I hope we do find them both soon. Elena can't run forever, Klaus and now that we know she could still be somewhere in the area. It's only a matter of time before her luck runs out and we ruin her next plan. She can run, Klaus. But, she sure as hell can't hide."

A/N: All I can say is that these next few chapters will have a lot of intense scenes. Particularly between Damon and Stefan and Elena and Stefan...Yup, those two are about to come face to face! ;)

Please feel free to leave me a review. Until Next Time!


	23. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. AH. FBI agent Stefan Salvatore, must come to terms with his haunting past when his daughter goes missing without a trace. Even if it means tracking down a woman who has been eluding his task force for years & who has more in common with him than anyone truly knows.What happens when dangerous minds play perfect games?(Stelena,Bamon,Klaus/OC,Halijah,Forwood,Mentions of Datherine)

A/N: Hey all! I know that it's been forever since I update this story. I'm hoping that this new chapter makes up for my absence. Thanks so much for reading & enjoy! :)

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-Four

Caroline

"How long are we going to be lying to her?" I stammer out the next morning, slamming the door behind me as Tyler places his face into his hands and rubs them against his skin vigorously. It's been a very long 48 hours and as much as we prepared for this. I didn't realize how unprepared we actual were.

"We're lying to everyone, Caroline. Those people in there think this is their safe house. Truthfully, it's their death trap." He tells me as I lean against the wall, closing my eyes. If they find out that we're working with the FBI. That Tyler and I are actually two very well trained undercover informants. They'll probably kill us to be able to get away.

"We need to get the girl away from her." I comment, watching as my husband finally lifts up his head and laughs, almost as if he's amused by our predicament.

"And, how the hell are we going to do that, sweetheart? That would draw suspicion." He tells me as I shake my head, pushing myself away from the wall and pacing the floor. "Fine then. Call him, Tyler. Tell him that we have her here and that he needs to come. That he needs to come all alone. Because we both know that if they all show up with their guns blazing that Elena and Enzo will run. They need to trust us, Tyler and we need to keep this up until it's over. Now, call him. Do it, now!" I comment, hearing footsteps in the hallway as I place my fingers against my lips and Tyler removes his fingers away from the screen of his cell phone.

Breathing in deep, I open the door with a smile, allowing a low moan to escape past my lips as I turn back towards my husband and blow him a kiss. "Damn it, babe! That was amazing, woah." I'm smirking when Elena glances up at me with confusion in her brown eyes and a shake of her head.

"Sorry that we've kept you waiting. Tyler has to make a phone call for work. I guess we got a little carried away with one another." I tell her laughing as she nods her head, heading towards the kitchen when we both hear Addy running into it, telling her mother that she's hungry.

"I'll make us breakfast!" I exclaim, trying to play off my attitude as cool and collected, instead of overly anxious about what I'm going to do…Bring down one of the nation's top ten fugitives with just one simple phone call.

Tyler

Pacing the floor, my shaking hands glance down at my phone before I inhale deeply. I'm about to bring destruction into the lives of so many people by making this call. However, I know that I need to do this to ensure my own safety and Caroline's as well. We were witnesses to one of Elena's old crimes and since then, we've been working with the FBI to help find her. They had known when she popped back onto their radar in Italy, just months before that she'd come back to the states in search of someone she trusts. And, that person was my wife, Caroline. We had been friends in High School and since they, kept in touch from time to time. Whenever Elena seemed to be in a jam, Caroline would help her out of them. Until about two years ago when we got in trouble with the law ourselves for writing some fraudulent checks, our relationship with Elena came into question. To which, Caroline had to answer for. Klaus Mikaelson, was the lead agent in the case and he offered us a deal. We tell him everything we know in exchange for a reduced sentence and for our help in catching Elena since she trusted us and was in fact going to eventually reach out to us again. So, you'd imagine our surprise when after a long time of not hearing from her, Enzo called us out of the blue, asking for our helping in hiding her and the little girl.

The dial tone at the other end makes my heart beat quicken when he finally answers with a rough tone. "Agent Mikaelson." He says in an all business-like tone. I'm hesitant at first, clearing my throat and trying to speak. But, nothing comes out as he says a stern "Hello?" into the phone. Finally, my words spill out as I state in a soft and low tone. "Agent Mikaelson. You told me to call you if I had any new information on Elena Gilbert. Well, I have some news." I tell him, hearing as he coughs out a breath, sounding a lot more intrigued than before.

"What do you have for me, Tyler?" He asks, I can feel my pulse pick up and my palms sweat while I stammer out. "She's in Finley, North Dakota. At my house. Some guy who's been helping her asked us to keep them safe and now, she's here. She hasn't been here long. But, she's here right now, unarmed, with the little girl."

"What?" Klaus asks, waiting for my clarification as I tell him that I'm being serious and that he needs to come as soon as possible.

"I'm telling you to come out here as soon as you can before someone tips her off and she runs again! Listen to me, come out here without your guns blazing. She can't know that we tipped you off, Klaus. Since our agreement was that she couldn't know that we've been working with you." I tell him, adding in the address to our house before I hang up the phone in my hands.

Stepping out of the room, I nearly slam into Enzo as he gives me a curious look. There's a sudden look of worry on his face as he smiles at me nervously before he asks. "Everything alright, mate?"

Nodding, I glance down at my phone with a laugh, wiggling my cell phone in the palm of my hands. "Yeah, just work stuff." I comment, patting him on the shoulder as I attempt to calm myself down just as Caroline shouts from downstairs. "Boys! Breakfast is ready!"

Stefan

"Ugh, What!" Rolling over on my side, I wipe away the sleepiness from my eyes as I remember the events from the other night. Ella and I, drunk together….Slept together again…We slept together twice in the last 48 hours and drank together….Shit! Grabbing my cell phone off of the end table next to my bed, I turn my head to see that the other side of my king size mattress is empty this time around. Ella's gone and all she seems to have left behind was a note that reads simply. "This. You and Me. It was a mistake, let's not make it awkward and talk about it at work. I'm sorry, Stefan. But, I can't do this with you." I crumple up the note, tossing it on to the floor as I feel my cell phone still vibrating in my hand and I answer it in a groggy tone. It's late in the evening already and I was too hung over to come into work. Although, my phone keeps buzzing and because of that, I answer it.

"Agent Salvatore." He hears me say, inhaling sharply before he clears this throat and says in a low voice.

"Stefan. We need you down at the office now! I don't have much time to explain. But, you better be here fast." He's very vague in his remarks as I pull my aching feeling body up from the mattress. "I suggest you avoid turning on your Television before you come in too." Elijah adds in as I rub the sleepy and tired feeling away from my eyes again, trying to reorient myself with my surroundings.

What the hell exactly happened last night? How long have I been asleep for and how much did Ella and I really drink? God, I can't remember anything really.

"What happened?" I ask him, pressing for answers as I stand on my slightly wobbly legs.

"We found her, Stefan. We found them both." He explains, causing my whole body to feel numb as my eyes grow wide and I quickly pick up my clothes off of the floor, telling him that I'll be there as soon as I can.

"Agent Salvatore. I want you to think about something, long and hard before you come in here." Elijah says to me in a stern tone as I exhale deeply, pressing the phone closer to my ear while putting my pants back on and then my t-shirt.

"Elijah. I've thought about everything in the last few weeks, the last few months and years. Believe me, I'm pretty sure I know what you're about to say. I-." Cutting me off with a small uneasy laugh, I can picture him shaking his head.

"Addison's waiting for Damon to get back. He's still in North Dakota, finishing things up. Bonnie's on her way. But, she's stuck in traffic and won't be here for at least another hour. So, she's alone. As for Elena, she's not speaking to anyone. To be quite honest, the only person she wants to speak with..Is you." He informs me as I run my hands through my hair, nervously biting my lip and closing my eyes. I can't believe I'm about to come face to face with her- after all these years. Her and I. Together again. Just not in the way that I had imagined at all.

"Okay. I'll be prepared. But, I want to see Addison first." I comment, hearing him tell me that she's being interviewed at the moment and that she should be ready to talk by the time that I get there.

"I'll be there soon." I comment, ending the phone call as I grab my keys off the dining table in my apartment. Taking a deep breath, I say a silent prayer and hope it doesn't go heard upon deaf ears. "Please God, let her still have a small piece of the girl I once knew inside of her….The one I used to love. Please show me that the Elena I knew isn't completely gone."

"Uncle Stefan!" Addison yells out, running past a bunch of FBI agent's as she jumps into my arms and I hold her firmly against my chest, my hand pressed gently against her hair. I kiss her cheeks, tears streaming down my face while I take a seat with Addison in my arms and she glances up at me, wiping away my tears. "Why are you crying?" She asks, confusion spreading across her beautiful features as I move a strand of her brown hair away from her face and kiss the tip of her nose. Examining her to make sure that's okay and in once piece, given back to me, unharmed.

"I've just missed you very much sweetheart." I tell her, pulling her against my chest as I sit with her in my arms for a few minutes, thanking God that she's safe.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" I hear in the distance, my eyes following the sound to hear Bonnie's voice cracking as she runs towards us, scooping Addison up into arms, pulling her away from me as she kisses her face and I watch my own daughter glance at my brother's wife with such love and joy in her eyes as she says. "I'm okay, momma. I'm okay!"

"Oh, my sweet baby girl! Thank God, you're safe!" Bonnie says in a joyous tone, tears streaming down her face as she twirls Addison in her arms and they both laugh. I sit there, wiping away my own tears as I watch them be reunited with each other and I feel pained by the truth. Would I still be feeling like this if she knew the truth? Would my heart be aching this much for Addison if she only knew that I was the one who she was supposed to be really calling "Daddy!" Instead of my brother?

Probably not.

I keep silent though, allowing Bonnie and my daughter to have their moment while thinking about how nervous Damon must be as he makes his way back here to see Addison. However, I'm not given much more time to sulk before Elijah steps in front me, handing me a case file. "She wants to see you." He instructs, giving me a knowing look as I stand up, flipping open the file. I feel my head spin as I think about it. I'm about to come face to face with her, the girl that I had once wanted to give the world to. The one who's haunted me all these years….Elena.

"Are you sure about this? Stefan, we can find someone else to interrogate her." He tells me, walking with me down the hallway as I stand in front of the door that leads to the interrogation room.

"No. I want to do it. I promise, I'll get the answers we need." I comment in a reassuring tone, pushing open the door as I feel my pulse quicken the moment our eyes meet and she smiles that lovely and nearly dream like smile at me when she says in a soft tone. "Hello, Stefan."

Elena

The look in his green eyes seems to be distant and disengaged as he steps inside and the heavy door to the interrogation room slams shut behind him. Stefan slams the file on the table in front of me as I go to reach for it, remembering quickly that my hands are chained with handcuffs to the table and my feet are fastened together too.

"Well, Well. Did your brother tell you that I decided to surrender peacefully? I mean, we're both in once piece and as you know, I'd never do anything to hurt her. Since, she is mine. But, look at you. If it isn't the prestigious and very alluring Agent Stefan Salvatore. It suits you, this job. You still look hot, even after all these years." I comment in a taunting tone, my brown eyes glistening as he clears his throat, ignoring my taunting. "Must be a real ego boost knowing that you and your team caught one of the most wanted women in the nation. How's that feel, by the way, Stefan? Does that make you feel all good inside?" I ask him, licking my bottom lip in a seductive manner as he takes a seat across from me, his face stone cold and emotionless.

"I want you to tell me why you did it?" He asks without skipping a beat, crossing his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side and waiting for a reply.

"Let's not act like you don't know. That's silly to act like you don't know what they did to me and why I took her. That they, your parents, took her away from me first and forced me to be without my daughter! Stefan, we both know that your parents had a way bigger role in this than I ever did! They should be chained and hauled in here too. Not just me." I comment, my eyes searching his for any shred of the young man that I once knew. I can see it in his darkened green gaze, he's searching for the person I once was too.

"My parents have nothing to do with this! Right now, we're talking about you. And, the crimes you've committed to cover up your tracks. The fact that you stole my brother's daughter right from under-." Scoffing at his words with my cold demeanor, I shake my head suddenly hysterically laughing.

"So, that's what you all have been telling her? None of you have had the guts or the balls to tell her that she's not Bonnie or Damon's daughter? So, you haven't told her at all that I'm her mother and that you're her father?" I ask him, watching as he suddenly fidgets in his seat. Smiling, I lock my eyes on to him. "Well, looks like I've just hit a nerve. Jackpot. We have a winner. Truth must kill you inside to see them raising our little girl!"

"I guess I knew that none of you told her, when she was in the car with me and there was a small moment when she said that she wanted her mommy Bonnie." My eyebrows lift as I tilt my head to the side, finishing my words. "I suppose that Bonnie's been a better mother anyways. So, at least you picked someone she could look up to. Unlike myself, a cold-hearted bitch with a criminal past. Let's not pretend that's what you think I am."

Stefan opens the case file, tapping his fingernails against the steel table as he states with an annoyed tone. "Are you done yet?"

"No, actually. I like annoying you. It makes me think that you've got a very dangerous side to you and I'm digging into it. I wonder how much darkness and anger consumes you? Agent Salvatore, are you filled with darkness, just like I am? It makes me wonder what you'd be like under the sheets now? I bet the sex with you is absolutely amazing now, completely emotionless and raw, full of passion. Way better than it was when we were teenagers. Isn't it Stefan? Come on now, you can't deny it and tell me that if things were different that you wouldn't want me at this very moment, still…Am I right?" My question lingers in the air as he stares at me, that same disengaged look in his eyes as he watches me opening my mouth to speak, he cuts me off with another demanding request. "How about cut this bullshit nonsense and we start from the beginning. Elena, how about you tell me this…" His voice trails off as I lean forward, eyeing him cautiously while he looks through the pile of paperwork that's my case file.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know." I comment, hearing him huff out a breath as he shakes his head, frustration evident in the way his body tenses up.

"We both know you won't and that you'll want to lawyer up in about a few minutes." He says as I laugh a little. "Why do all of you agents think that I want a lawyer? Frankly, I know that I'm guilty and most likely I'll rot away in a prison cell for a very long time. So, no. I don't really want a lawyer." I tell him as he licks his fingers, turning the next page. I watch his eyes move downward before he places his finger onto some words and then glances up at me when he says. "Tell me about Italy, Elena. Take me back to the beginning and tell me why you killed Owen Thompson?"

Laughing a little, the pure sinister tone in my voice comes out as I once again lean forward when I state. "I'll tell you, only for a price. Now, I'm only going to tell you about him, Stefan. If you do one thing for me. How about you give me a deal right now. I want a reduced sentence and I want more visits, with you. Because frankly, I want to see how dark you are, Agent Salvatore. How much of me still haunts you?"

A/N: I absolutely LOVE writing for Elena in this story! ;) So, what did you all think about the moment you all have been waiting for?


	24. Chapter Twenty-Five

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-Five

Stefan

She's haunted me with every step I've turned. Every woman that I've dated, every one that I have ever loved. Elena has haunted me for years and she still does.

"I've wondered in my head, dreamed about really. What this day was going to be like. It's honestly, nothing like I've imagined, Elena." I tell her, watching as she leans forward, a small glimmer of what seems to be the old love of my life in her darkened brown eyes.

"What happened to you?" I crack. Truthfully, she was always my weakness and sitting across from her now, even though I'm filled with hatred for what she did to us all. The deeply buried love for Elena resurfaces.

"I grew up. I went through hell, things that no one should have to ever go through at a young age. I'm pretty sure that you remember some of those things." She states in a cold tone, her eyebrows lifting as she yawns. Elena doesn't really look at me, she mostly looks around the room. "This is getting pretty boring already. Aren't you going to ask me why I did it? Why I came back and took her after all these years?" She asks, glancing down at her hands as I lean forward, noticing the scars on her neck.

"Where's you get the scars?" I ask her, leaning back into my seat as Elena mirrors my actions. She puffs out an annoyed breath.

"Does it really matter? Stefan, I kidnapped our child. You know, I did it. To send a message, really. I never meant to hurt her, not once. I was planning on going on the run for way longer than this, to get to know my daughter. But, Enzo and I we-." She pauses, brushing her hair back with her fingers tips as the chains around her wrists loosen a bit when she asks. "Where is Enzo anyways?"

"Wait, you thought that kidnapping Addison would bring you closer to her?" I ask, watching as she shakes her head and clarifies her words.

"No. I didn't. Frankly, I wanted to get to know her better, I wanted her to get to know me as her mother and not the monster that I'm sure you all have poisoned her little mind with." Elena retorts, hearing me let out a laugh.

"We don't even talk about you….." My words cut her so deeply that I can see it in her eyes. The pain of being nonexistent in our daughter's life. She fidgets in her seat uncomfortably before asking about Enzo again. How do I tell her that he was working for us all along? Well, easy actually. Smiling, I tilt my head to the side as I suddenly get up and excuse myself from the room. I find him, sitting in Damon's office as Elijah talks to him and they're recanting the events of the last few days.

"Boss, can I steal him for a few minutes?" I ask, watching as Elijah gives me a perplexed look and before he can even ask me if this has anything to do with Elena's case, I pull Enzo aside and take him with me.

"What's this all about?" He asks, confusion appearing in his eyes as I stop just feet away from the interrogation room. "Did you ever mention to her, who you really were?" I ask him as he shakes his head, explaining to me that when he had met Elena in a dingy old club that he had acted as if he was one of the criminals there, looking for some drugs and a hooker to take home.

"Good." I comment, pushing open the door as I watch her eyes widen and she slams her hands against the table in anger.

"What's going on here!" She demands to know, shaking her head in disbelief as Enzo puts his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth on the soles of his shoes as he says in a nonchalant tone. "I'm an FBI informant, Elena. I worked closely with Stefan and Damon this whole time. And, it was all to bring you here. They needed someone they could trust and I decided to fill that role."

"What?!" She shouts out as he takes a seat in the chair that I had been sitting in, staring at her directly as he speaks in a calm tone. "My job was to make you trust me, fall for me even. But, mostly it was to make you think that I was on your side. To be honest, there was a reason why we went to North Dakota, specifically to Tyler and Caroline Lockwood's home. Because, they were in on it too." He explains as Elena shakes her head, an expression of hurt on her face when she shouts out pissed off tone. "How could you?"

Enzo shrugs his shoulders back, popping his neck from side to side as he exhales deeply. "Elena, it was all part of the job. I owed Stefan one." He comments, lifting himself up from the seat. Before he's able to leave the room, Elena says in a broken tone. "So, you didn't care about me at all? Just like everyone else, right?"

I can see his body tense up as he exhales deeply. "I did, Elena. I think that underneath all of that tough exterior of a criminal. You're still that scared little girl that Stefan fell in love with all those years ago. But, you refuse to break and let her out. I think that you tried to save yourself and when you couldn't do it. You turned into a cold-hearted person. Although, I also believe that there's still some good left in you and you're not as far gone as you claim to be." He tells her, patting me on the shoulder as the door closes behind him and I'm left in the room with Elena again.

Silence falls upon the room as Elena taps her fingers against the table and I cross my arms over my chest, staring down at the file in front of me. Minutes turn into an hour before one of us speaks again. "Elena, I want you to tell me why you did it? Why you killed, Owen? Why you went on the run? I want you to tell me everything. But, I want you to start from the beginning." She hears me say as I too tap my fingers against the table, waiting for a reply.

Elena rolls her eyes, clearing her throat as she says. "I took her because I couldn't stand being away from her anymore! Don't you get that? Addison was my whole life before they took it all away from me! Your parents were responsible for this, Stefan. They've kept me away from my daughter for far too long and they covered up the fact that they sent me away. They wanted you to think I was dead. But, really, they drugged me, tossed me on an airplane with no real destination and when I woke up, I was in some foreign country. In a slum with a bunch of random women and girls….." Her voice cracks as she swallows down her pain and she locks her eyes onto me when she admits something that I didn't even know. "They took me away from you and put me in a place for young girls with behavioral issues, half way around the world. But, what I thought was a school for young girls and a school that would help me. Well, I quickly realized it was a highly profitable human trafficking slum….I barely escaped with my life. That's how Owen found me and he took me to Prague. I thought I was safe there too, until I noticed that he was the same old Owen. So, I robbed a bank and fell off the face of the earth for a while, until the money ran out. Until, he found me again in Italy. And then everything else spiraled out of control from there."

I'm silent for a long time, processing the words she'd just told me and remembering the night my parents told me about Elena's misfortune. Leaning forward, she reaches for my hand as I place it onto the table. The simple touch of her skin against mine sends my mind reeling as she says in a soft tone with tears streaming down her face and a pain stricken expression in her eyes. "I swear to you that I've made mistakes. But, you have to believe me. Stefan, please. You need to believe me that I wouldn't have done this without a reason behind it. I was trying to save myself from them, Stefan. And, I wanted to send a message. That I was still out there, alive and not wanting to give up."

Leaning away from her and losing the warm contact of her hand against mine, I exhale and close my eyes. Hoping that she isn't trying to manipulate her way out of the truth, that she is indeed guilty. "And, what's the message?" I ask her in a sudden cocky tone as she inhales sharply before locking her eyes directly on me when she states. "I'm not as guilty as you think I am…. Your parents are too. Even more guilty than I will ever be. Especially, Annie. Your stepmother. She's not the person you think that she is. Truthfully, she's an even bigger devil than I will ever be."

Damon

Laying Addison next to an exhausted Bonnie, I kiss them both on the cheek as I allow my wife to sleep in our bed beside our daughter. I was terrified of not getting her back, of our team or anyone else never finding her again. But, I'm so thankful that they did. I'm beyond grateful for having my little girl back home with us.

A light knocking on the door makes me turn towards it as I hear it continue.

Swinging the door open, I see him. Stefan's got a glazed over drunk smile on his face as he shakes his head, stumbling into the house. "I know, it's late." He grins, allowing me to catch him as he comes towards me and I catch him into my arms. I look down at my younger brother, noticing the heartache in his darkened green eyes.

"I finally got done with the interrogation from hell, four hours ago." He says, adding in that afterwards he stopped at one of the bars we frequent after work and he had a few drinks. "I couldn't handle it, Damon…I couldn't handle seeing her again." He states, watching as I close the door behind us and guide him into our living room. Stefan takes a seat on our couch as I warn him to keep his voice down since Bonnie and Addison are upstairs, sleeping.

"What happened?" I ask him, seeing the tears spill over his eyes.

"I wanted it all to go away. The feelings that I've kept buried for so damn long. And, they did. You know, I was moving on with Ella. Trying to move on. But," He pauses, leaning his head back against the couch and shutting his eyes. "Fucking emotions."

"Stefan-." I start to say as he waves his hand in the air, cutting me off and changing the subject. "What did Annie do, Damon?"

"What?" Scratching my head, I ask him in a confused tone. He's desperate for answers that I don't know anything to. Although, I do remember a little bit of what our stepmother did that night when she had been trying to get Elena out of my brother's life. And, a small part of me thinks that's what he's referring to.

"She called someone she knew, to "take care of it"." I recall, remembering the night that our father ushered Bonnie and I out of the house and quickly telling us that within a few weeks, we would be the legal guardians of my brother's baby daughter.

"To take care of it?" Stefan asks in a confused tone, glancing at me as I nod my head, whispering softly. "And within a few hours, Elena was declared dead and out of your life. According to mom and dad."

"Elena wasn't lying…" His voice trails off as I sit beside him.

"Stefan, you can't just go after our stepmother without proof. Hell, this would ruin everything." I try countering with him, attempting to reason with him. I watch as he gets up from the couch, pacing the floor. We're both silent for a long time before he locks his eyes on to me when he states.

"I want you to throw a welcome home party for Addison…And, I want you to invite our parents." He tells me as I'm trying to understand how this is going to help matters.

"Inviting them here won't do anything, Stefan." I comment watching his eyes glisten while he disagrees. "No, Damon. It'll do a lot. Especially if I get the right clearance and permission from Elijah."

"Clearance and Permission? For what exactly?" I ask him as he rubs his hands over his face vigorously and states in a very serious tone. "To bring Elena to this little party. This, family reunion."

"Are you insane! You want to bring a known fugitive into our home?" I spit out, already objecting to the idea until he adds in. "It's the only other way to see if Annie's guilty. Because, we can't just ask her flat out. Look, I know that it's a crazy idea. But, it might work under the right conditions. Damon, if what Elena is saying is true. Our stepmother ruined my life and she ruined Elena's. She ruined everyone's lives. So, I want Annie to really squirm when she realizes that her plan failed, majorly when she notices that Elena Gilbert is indeed very much alive and well."

Elijah

"You want to do what?" Slamming my paperwork down, I glare at Stefan the next morning. He doesn't flinch though, simply leaning back into his seat as he smiles at me.

"Come on, Elijah. I'm not saying we clear Elena of the charges that we have on her. I'm saying that we just allow her to be an informant for a few weeks. I'll keep a very close eye on her and we'll have the whole place under surveillance. She won't run, Elijah." He elaborates as I scoff at his words.

"I think you've been chasing her for far too long, Stefan! Because, you've clearly lost your mind! She won't run? Yeah, the hell she won't." I comment, shaking my head and licking my bottom lip. I'm about to tell him to get the hell out of my office and that this idea is completely ludicrous.

"I'm begging you. I need more answers. I need to know why my parents wanted to ruin so many things for me." He says, his voice cracking as I scoff.

"Well, here's a great idea. Much easier than having your convict ex-girlfriend working for the FBI as an informant! ASK YOUR PARENTS, FLAT OUT!" I shout at him, the anger boiling within my body as he gets up and locks his eyes on to me.

"I'll take full responsibility for her. Please, let me do this. Boss, I need to move past this shit in my life. You know, ever since Elena and I gave up on our relationship and our daughter. I've had nothing good to really live for. Nothing, except for this damn job. It's the only thing that I have left, Elijah. Now, please. Allow me to do this and then I'll put it to rest forever. We can all move on and Elena can serve her sentence."

"What you're asking for, Stefan. It could potentially be very dangerous." I comment as he nods his head, my words finally seeming to break through to him.

"I know it can be. But, we'll have the whole team there. Elijah, I'm pretty sure that you have nothing to worry about. As far as my parents know, they think Elena's still dead…Unless, you know something that I don't." I place my hands on top of the papers in front of me as he stares at me in silence for a while.

"No, I don't." I comment, exhaling deeply while remembering Mrs. Salvatore calling me a few months ago and threatening to take away my job if I didn't get rid of Elena Gilbert. My heart is racing faster than it should as I think about what's going to happen when she see's that I didn't do as I was told.

Elena

"Are you all crazy in here?" I ask him, when he proposes the idea to me, tilting his head to the side as I close my eyes.

"I'm still chained to this stupid table and I'm still a criminal, waiting to be prosecuted for my crimes." I add in, hoping that he'll realize that the last few days haven't really been a reunion between us. "Why can't you all just arrest her and haul her in here like you did to me?" I ask, hearing him puff out a breath and exhale deeply.

"She's not going to just confess, Elena. As far as she knows, you're still off the grid. Your arrest didn't make these huge headlines because it wasn't anything too important. Arrests like yours, happen to the FBI almost every few months. So, it wasn't that big of a deal. What you did to my brother and his wife on the other hand, kidnapping-." I cut him off as I clarify. "You know exactly why I did it. Did I not just spend hours confessing to you?"

"Listen to me, for this plan to be set into motion. You need to agree to a few rules." He says as I yawn out a breath, already bored by his idea.

"I don't follow any rules anymore, Stefan. Frankly, they bore me. They restrict me. And," Leaning forward for good measure and a smirk on my face, I make sure our eyes are level when I state in a nearly seductive tone. "And, I hate being restrained and restricted."

He swallows hard, leaning back and stammering out his next sentence. I can see it in his eyes, he still wants me and it's killing him. Good, I'm getting somewhere with this.

"After everything. You owe me this." He states, trying to regain control of the situation as I roll my eyes and laugh a little. "I owe you? To be honest, I don't owe you a damn thing."

Stefan shakes his head, slamming his hand against the metal table that my hands are tied against as he nearly snarls out with an angered expression on his face. "I am giving you one last chance and as a favor to me. You better listen up closely because this could cut a few years off of your sentence in Rikers Island, sweetheart!"

"Rikers Island?" My eyebrows lift as my eyes grow wide and he nods his head, smirking smugly he says. "Yes, Rikers. Now, if you don't follow through with this plan. Believe me, we won't have any problem sending you there for you to serve the rest of your days."

"But…Those people are all murders and notorious killers….I just-." The fear on my face must be evident because he looks untouched by it as he leans forward and concludes. "You don't have any room to talk. Now, in two weeks, my boss is going to be releasing you to me. Which means that I'm fully responsible for your wellbeing. It's just for a few days until we get things in motion to get more information on Annie."

Smiling, my eyes follow up his biceps, his gun holster and down to the front of his jeans. Licking my lips, I smirk. "So, I'm going to be spending a lot of time with you for this little assignment? So, I'm an informant?"

He nods, speechless. Stefan straightens his body up as he places his hand onto his gun as he levels his eyes with mine and says in a very clear and nonnegotiable tone. "You'll be staying with me in my apartment, which will be under surveillance and I'm going to be getting you a nice ankle monitor. Also, a bed on the floor in my room."

"I won't run when I'm with you. I promise." I comment, trying to be sincere. He shakes his head, rolling his eyes because he's clearly not buying it as he laughs. "Sure, you won't. I've heard that one before, Elena. Too many times in fact. Over the years, I've learned to not trust that promise."

Leaning back into my seat, I pop my neck to the side as I ask him softly. "Why'd you agree to keep an eye on me, Stefan? You still hate me. Hell, I'm not a huge fan of myself right now either. At least I guess we'll have that in common."

"Because, out of everyone in this building. I know you better than any one of these people in this whole place and as crazy as it sounds. You're the safest with me." He states, adding in over his shoulder that the operation is to take place in two weeks and for me to be prepared for a role of a lifetime.

Before he leaves, I watch Stefan stand near the door, placing his hand on it firmly as he glances over to me one last time as he says. "She think's your dead. At this moment in time, everyone in the outside world thinks that you died in a gun fight because you wouldn't surrender when we caught you. So, we have an advantage over my stepmother. You. And, that's why we need your help. It's not going to clear your name from killing Owen in Italy or kidnapping Addison. You'll still do a good amount of time for that after this is all over. However, it'll reduce your sentence just a little for eluding us over the last few years."

Clearing my throat, I ask in a softer and less harsh tone, the question that I've been dying to ask when he first proposed his idea. "So, what am I going to be to you, during this sting operation at this venue you're picking out?"

He removes his hand away from the door as it slides down to the handle when he says in a low voice. "Something that you used to be to me a very long time ago. Which, I don't think you'll have a hard time pretending to be just for a few hours…My girlfriend."

After a long week of interrogations and negotiations with the FBI, I've been led to this. Stefan's apartment. The door of his apartment creaks open as the Marshall's behind me unclasp my hands and allow me to step inside of his living room. "Were the U.S. Marshall's really necessary?"

He nods, cracking a small smile as he informs me that the whole place is protected and secured to make sure that I don't do anything stupid. Taking a seat on his couch, I nod my head, trying hard to not roll my eyes at him. "I got it. I attempt to run and you'll shoot me in the back. I get it, since I probably deserve it after everything I've done to you." I comment, crossing my legs over one another as Stefan tells the boys outside of his apartment door that he's got it from here and that he'll be on standby if he needs anything.

"You hungry?" He asks, the minute the door closes and the heavily armed guys leave. I sit there for a long time, my eyes scanning the room for any sentimental piece from our time together. However, I barely see any pictures at all. The only one that seems significant enough to mention is a picture of him and Addison sitting on his fireplace mantel and it looks really old, at least three years too old.

"Are you sure you won't poison my food?" I ask, turning around to smile at him at he shakes his head, laughing a little.

"No, I'm not that much of an asshole, Elena." He retorts, turning around in his kitchen and opening the fridge that's full of all sorts of things. Sitting there quietly, I wonder how he pulled it off? How in the world did he get his superiors to allow him to put me here? Essentially, I'm in a sort of protective custody under the highly trained supervision of my ex-boyfriend? Yeah, that sounds about right. Because once our time together ends, I'll be on my way to a prison cell.

"How'd you do it?" Asking the question makes him drop something loudly on to the ground. I hear Stefan curse under his breath as he stands back up and glances over at me, shrugging his shoulders.

"I made a deal with my superiors, an important one." Taking a step from back behind the counter, he wipes his hands on a red kitchen towel and tosses it over his shoulder while he states in an informative tone. "Just because I made this deal with my bosses, it doesn't give you a free pass to do whatever you want, Elena. One mistake. Just one and I will send your ass straight back to where it belongs, in a prison cell for the next 15 years." He commands, watching as I stand up and walk over to him.

I take the towel from his shoulder, making sure to glide my fingers over his shirt as he stares at me. His eyes follow my movements as I place the towel on to the counter behind us and walk back over to him. We're eye level, his face is stone cold, expression less as I speak with a soft tone. "We both know that if it were under different circumstances. You wouldn't be taking me back to a prison cell. Please, let's be honest here…" My voice trails off as I place my hand gently against his cheek and he closes his eyes to my touch. Stefan flinches a little and attempts to move away. But, it's like his body is frozen into place and he's under my spell once again when he opens his eyes and looks at me, his green gaze is filled with desire.

"I'd…." He tries to stammer out, failing to form more words from coming out of his mouth.

"You'd be taking me straight to your bedroom, detective." Taunting him, he grabs a hold of my hand, pushing it away from his face as I hear him sigh out a heavy breath. Smirking, I move closer to him. Stefan's muscle's tense up when he leans over his sink in the kitchen, probably regretting this whole decision of allowing me to stay in his house. Stefan turns around briskly, grabbing my wrists and hovering over me as he says in a tone that sends a shiver down my spine. "Let me make this very clear to you. What we had, died. It vanished a long time ago- when you did. You left and you took my heart with you! And, I swear to god that I'm stronger than I was before. I was a stupid young kid, in love with a girl that he thought was his whole world. And, as it turns out I was a fool for loving you then. But, believe me, Elena. I'm not a fool anymore. You're a manipulative woman who plays dirty mind games."

Taking a step back from him, he releases my wrists as I rub them gently and lean against the counter in his kitchen, smirking widely when I state in a serious tone. "I might have a dangerous mind, Stefan. But, from what I can tell, you've got an even more dangerous heart. So, I guess we're both playing with fire here and it's just a matter of time before one of us gets burned."

A/N: Please let me know what you think. Until next time!


	25. Chapter Twenty-Six

A/N: Hey all! Just wanted to let you guys know that Dangerous Minds will be coming to a close very soon. I plan on having 3 more chapters/updates and then an epilogue.

Thank you all for reading & enjoy!

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-Six

Stefan

She's got this tension in her eyes, watching her from afar is tantalizing, enticing really.

"Playing with fire?" I ask her, watching as Elena ties up her hair, licking her bottom lip when she walks to the middle of my living room, slipping off her pink colored sweat shirt.

"That's what I said." She comments, smiling at me with a mischievous grin.

I should be drunk for this. In control of myself around her. But, I feel myself slipping. I feel my heart aching to reach out and grab her- touch her.

My mind is fighting with itself to keep my heart in check. This isn't the right time or place. This isn't how is should be between us. Throughout everything, Elena still has that glistening in her eyes. The one I fell in love with and I know that I shouldn't be doing this or even suggesting it. However, I can't help myself.

"Do you want a drink?" I ask her, watching Elena turn towards me, shifting her weight and with a smile, she nods.

"Aren't you still on the job, Agent Salvatore?" She asks, an undertone of genuine curiosity.

"No." I shake my head. I can feel my heart pounding faster than it should. My blood pressure must be rising because my pulse is quickening too. Elena moves a step closer, grinning with a mischievous smile on her face.

"What do you want from me, Stefan? A one night stand? One night of mind blowing sex and in the morning neither of us will talk about it again. We can pretend like it never happened." She leans forward, whispering into my ear. Her voice smooth and velvet like with seduction. "I'll never tell if you don't."

Sighing deeply, I close my eyes. Counting backwards. As if it'll help me calm myself around her. As much as I'm denying my feelings for her and saying that they're long gone. We both know that the moment our eyes met again, I'm a lying son of a bitch. Everything inside of me was reawakened and she's the only person in this world that can do that to me.

It's tempting, her offer. And, if I wasn't in the position of being an authority figure responsible for a fugitive. If I was anyone else or anywhere else with her. Truth be told, I'd accept what she's offering. Not because I miss her. No, it's because of these lingering feelings I still have deep within me- the ones that I can feel coming back up to the surface. It's because, I want those feelings to die for good.

"Come on, Stefan." She urges on, wrapping her hand around the red tie around my neck and pulling me against her, Elena strokes my chest as she pushes away from me and points to the cameras that are strategically placed in my apartment to keep an eye on her activities while she stays under my watch. "We can turn those off- for a little bit at least. Besides, isn't there a place where they didn't-" She stops herself, turning away from me as she bites down on her finger and smirks a little.

"Follow me." She states, telling me to wait five minutes before I do.

I'm an idiot. A fool for her. Deep down, I probably always have been. Deep down, I do miss her. Everything damn thing about her. The way her lips would kiss me, the way her soft skin felt so good against my hands. The smell of her hair, the sweet look of longing in her eyes.

"Come on." Elena whispers, taking my hand into her own and leading me into the bathroom with her. Elena closes the door quietly, as if that's going to make any difference and right before I can utter out a word, she presses her body against mine and cups my face into the palm of her hands. "You want me, Stefan. So, here I am. All of me. Right here. You can have all of me, just say it. Tell me, you want me." She states, licking her bottom as she leans forward and captures her lips against mine. A soft and gentle kiss quickly turns heated and passionate. My right-hand glides into her hair, running my fingers through the strands of her dark brown locks as I deepen the kiss and hoist her into my arms. Elena wraps her legs around my waistline, while her back is pressed up against the door of the bathroom and she moans against my mouth.

My fingertips slide down her neck, admiring her skin as my lips quickly follow and she clutches onto me tighter, leaning her head back and moving her hair away from my shoulder. "God, I want you so bad." I hear myself say out loud. Instantly kicking myself for how easily and foolishly I've given in. My self-control is seriously thinning and fast.

I know what you're probably thinking. He's insane for wanting her and needing her as much as he does after everything she's done to hurt him. But, looking at Elena in the moment. I don't see the monster that she's become. I see us back to where we once were. My desire filled eyes are clouded by the memories of the young girl that I had loved and lost all those years ago and in the moment, I want nothing more than for her to know how much I want her.

Kissing her neck, my finger latches onto the grey spaghetti strap tank top that she's wearing as I gently lower down the strap and kiss her collar bone, moving my lips to her shoulder. Her hands are mangled in my hair, her own mouth kissing my jawbone. "I'm right here, Stefan." Elena tells me, my hands begin traveling down her backside and just as Elena's fingers loop around my belt buckle to undo it, giving her more access to me. My cellphone on the counter beside us comes to life and Elijah's name flashes across the screen.

Clearing my throat, I answer briskly. "This is Stefan."

"You sound a little out of breath, Agent Salvatore. Are you sure you're not chasing Elena Gilbert down the hall as she runs away again?" He asks in a joking manner, forcing me to push Elena away when I laugh too.

"No boss. She's been behaving." I comment, hearing as he shuffles some paperwork and then says. "Stefan, I just wanted to inform you that the cameras in your apartment need to be checked again. It seems like a glitch happened and they shut off. Also, our newest operation involving your mother has been moved. It's happening in two days and I need you both to make sure you're prepared."

From the corner of my eye, I see Elena rolling her eyes and sliding her body off of the counter in my bathroom. She's rummaging through my towels in my bathroom cabinets before she grabs one and begins to undress in front of me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll check them out and I'll be prepared. We both will be." I tell him, glancing down at the floor before I turn away and end the call quickly, telling him that Elena's getting antsy and that I should probably go feed her.

"Okay. Now, just remember Stefan. Please, don't make me regret this." He says in a warning tone as I reassure him that he's got nothing to worry about and that I have everything under total control.

"Well, that was a total bust!" Elena exclaims, leaning over to the tub and turning on the warm water as I watch her, wrapping the white towel around her naked body. "Do you want to join me? We can save some water."

"Tempting. But, no. We need to turn these cameras back on and you need to start behaving yourself. Besides, I think we just proved to ourselves that chemistry won't be a problem. Our assignment's been moved to two days from now. This weekend, Elijah's hoping to find the evidence on my mother that will prove she was behind all those crimes against you." I tell her, watching as she nods, exhaling deeply as I turn away from her and begin walking out of the bathroom. The sound of Elena's soft voice stops me in my tracks. "You know, Stefan. I know this might not mean anything to you, especially coming from me. But, I do still love you."

Closing my eyes and sharply sighing, my hand taps against the door for a moment. I'm going to regret this, I know. But, my heart is overruling my mind and I can't help it. She gasps as I take a step back towards her, cupping her face into my hands. "I still love you too, Elena. I've never stopped." I confess, kissing her lips passionately as I feel her hands slip underneath my shirt and she takes it off my body. Elena grabs at my pants, unzipping them. My pants fall to the ground and I kick them away. Elena licks her lips, running her hand over my chest. Her breath hitches as my eyes lock onto hers and I stroke the side of her face. "I don't want to regret this." I comment, the tone of concern evident in my voice as she smiles at me gently, taking my hand into hers, leading me into the shower.

"I promise, you won't." Elena tells me with confidence in her tone. The minute the curtain closes, her arms are wrapped around me, she's kissing my lips hungrily and my hands are against her hips, roaming and exploring her whole body. The hot water's steaming up the bathroom and making it hard to breath. My heart's pounding so hard that I feel like it's going to leap out of my chest as Elena locks her eyes on to me and states in a sweet tone. "Relax, Stefan. I'm about to show you what you've been missing. And believe me, it's going to be good."

Bonnie

Brushing her hair back carefully with my fingertips, I lean down and kiss Addison's temple. I've been watching her sleep for the last three hours. With Damon gone and it being just the two of us. I've noticed something since my daughter's been back with us over these last few days. She won't talk to me and I don't know what to do. Sitting quietly with Addison in my arms, I move her slightly as I remember the days when I was a little girl and my own mother had a hard time connecting with me. Reminding myself that she's just a six-year-old little girl, I keep my options simple. Addison stirs a little before she lays on her side and falls asleep again. I get up slowly, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. Closing my eyes, I envision my own mother, writing me letters to help get through to me as a little girl. And, that's where I decide to begin.

Dear Addison,

I know that these last few weeks have been really hard on you. Believe me, they've been extremely difficult for me too. Sweetie, I need you to know something. It's important. No matter what happened with the woman who is your real mother, Elena Gilbert. I want you to know that I will always love you. You're my daughter- no matter what your birth certificate says. Addison Marie. You are my baby girl and I am so thankful for you. Having you in our lives has changed mine for the better. You know, I understand that you'll probably not read this for a while or even understand it for a long time. However, you need to know that having you come into my life the way that you did, changed everything for me. Watching you grow up into the beautiful little girl that you are has been a blessing. You are my angel and I love you more than you will ever know. Please always remember that you can talk to me about anything and that will never change. I will always be here for you.

Love always.

Your mother,

Bonnie.

I stare at the handwriting and paper for a few minutes before I fold it up and place it into an envelope. There are so many things that I want to tell her, there are so many words and things she still wouldn't understand though. So, I settle for what I've written. Exhaling deeply, I dial Damon's phone number.

"You've reached the voicemail of Damon Salvatore. Please leave a message after the tone." I hear his voicemail blare out into my ears as I close my eyes, staring back at Addison while I walk through the house. That's when it all hits me. Maybe it's the aftermath of her being kidnapped and us reunited after a few weeks. Maybe it's just the desire of a clear conscious. Whatever it might be, I tell my husband that I think it's time to explain the truth to our daughter. "Babe, it's me. I think we need to tell her. It's about time we tell her that Stefan's her father. Also, we need to tell her who Elena is, Damon. We can't hide this anymore from her. She deserves to know the truth. It's time to explain to our daughter that she's adopted and who Stefan and Elena really are to her."


	26. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-Seven

Elena

We make love in his bed until his body and mine are one. Once. Twice…Over and over again until I've managed to be out of breath, moaning out his name and making us both climax together. The sheets of his bed are a tangled mess around our naked bodies as Stefan gently runs his rough hand over my warm feeling skin. My skin's still wet from the shower water as his is too and my damp hair is sticking to my cheeks as he brushes the strands away with his fingertips, a sweet caring smile on his lips. I can see the look in his eyes, one of concern as he leans down to kiss me, his leaf green orbs filled with desire and longing.

I want this as much as he does. I want him all around me. I want to feel alive again. I want to feel whole again- not so broken and pain ridden. I want him to take all of my pain away. And, just by the touch of his hand, by the kiss of his lips. I know that just for tonight. He's going to do just that for me as I will for him. Together we're one. He makes me feel like I'm home. So familiar.

"I love you." He whispers against my lips, breathing me in as I open my mouth and allow him to kiss me, our tongues dancing and exploring each other's. The kiss is rough and needy, hunger filled while his arm pins my hands above my head and I moan into his mouth, arching my naked body forward so that my breasts brush up against his bare chest.

"I don't want you to have all the control." He playfully smirks, moving his moist lips down to my neck. I inhale deeply, closing my eyes and giving myself over to him completely. As far as I'm concerned, Stefan's got me exactly where he wants me as his mouth hovers over my right breast and he sucks gently on my nipple, his tongue flicking the tender areola and forcing me to groan out in pleasure.

"Stefan, please…" My voice cracks, my eyes flutter open while he smiles at me and readjusts himself so that his beautiful body is over mine, his erection brushing up against my thigh.

"I love you too." I stammer out, pulling him down against me and wrapping my legs around his pelvis as our eyes meet and I caress his stubble covered face. "I mean it, Stefan." His breath hitches as he grabs a hold of my left leg and pulls it upward. I feel his other hand doing the same thing to my other leg and before I know it, he's pulling me closer to him. There's no gap or space between us, time seems to stand still as he kisses me again, lifting me up into his arms, the kiss leaves me breathless when I finally feel my body return down to the mattress. "I know." He softly whispers, staring into my eyes as he moves away the hair from my face and he adds in. "It's just you and me, Elena. Like it always has been. For tonight, it's just you and me. I've missed you."

Smiling, my lips meet his as Stefan's chest presses against mine and I feel myself indulging in the pleasure of his warmth, his protective arms. I'm exactly where I've wanted to be. With him. The kiss is heated as my legs wrap around his pelvis and Stefan gently glides himself into me, his hardened erection filling me with pure contentment. My nails dig deeper into his shoulder while Stefan sinks further into me and I feel myself losing control again. Stefan sets the pace and he thrusts into me just as I whisper out. "Don't ever let me go. I don't want you to ever let me go."

Damon

Bonnie's words are still ringing in my ears when I make it home later that night. I don't really know what to say to my wife. We'd been avoiding this talk with Addison for so long because we were both worried that we'd somehow damage and traumatize our daughter. Although, she's right. As much as I don't want to admit it at the moment. Bonnie's right about telling her. Addison deserves to know everything. She needs to know the truth.

Clasping my hands together, I exhale deeply before stepping into the kitchen. She's finishing up cooking a meal for the week as I place my arms around her, leaning my head against her shoulder. "Hi babe." I comment, kissing her cheek and pulling her against my chest as Bonnie turns in my arms, one of her hands is placed gently upon my cheek. "I didn't think you'd be coming home this early." She says with a smile as I kiss her and hold her for a bit, not wanting to let go. I miss my wife, I miss the way things were before everything in our lives became so crazy and working like a madman decided to take over everything, including our relationship.

"I got your voicemail today." She hears me say, nodding her head as she washes her hands at the sink and wipes them on a red kitchen towel before turning her attention back to me. She's glancing down at the floor as she shrugs her shoulders back. "Listen, I'll understand if you don't want to-." Cutting her off, I clear my throat before I speak. I wasn't really prepared to give a speech tonight. But, Bonnie's message has prompted me to really think about what I've wanted to say while driving home.

"Let's tell her, now." I comment, inhaling a shaky breath as I close my eyes and remember what Stefan had told me about Elena. How manipulative she's become and how it all started. The story plays in my head like a movie as I stare at Bonnie before speaking. "You need to know that if she chooses to get to know her birth mother, years down the road. We need to allow her to do that, Bon. You will always be her mom. No matter what happens. But, after tonight, things are going to change for Addison's entire life." I comment, placing my hands onto Bonnie's shoulders as she swallows down the lump probably forming in her throat due to my words.

"I know." She says, taking my hand into hers as we walk hand in hand into Addison's room. Bonnie stands near the doorway as our daughter leaps into my arms and kisses my cheeks. "Daddy! I missed you!" She says, nuzzling up against me while my hand rests upon her back and I turn to face my wife.

"Sweetie, your mom and I need to tell you something." I began, watching Bonnie carefully enter into the room as she takes a seat beside me on Addison's bed and I pull her hands into my lap.

"What is it?" She asks, her bright eyes shining with excitement as I sigh out a breath and continue.

"Baby girl, you know how you were taken away from us for a little while?" I ask her, watching as she nods. Addison looks down at her hands as she softly whispers. "She said she was my mom." Addison recalls as I hear Bonnie gasp out a breath, exhaling deeply while I hold onto her hands even more tightly.

"Well, sweetie. The woman who took you away from us and brought you back. She is your mom. Your real mom. Addy, Elena's your mom because you grew in her belly and she loved you very much. But, a lot of things happened and your mommy and daddy couldn't keep you anymore. So, you had to come live with us. And, I became your second mommy." Bonnie explains, hoping that she understands because she's staring at us both blankly, confused.

"Do you understand, Addison?" I ask her after a few minutes of silence between us, watching as she nods her head, yes.

Her and Bonnie watch as I take out my wallet and hand our little girl a very old looking picture. It's one of Stefan and Elena together, kissing and holding Addison in their arms. A very distant memory of happier times between them. A happy memory for all of us.

"Why is uncle Stefan in the picture?" She asks us, tracing her fingertip and thumb across the image.

My eyes close. I was ready to tell her about Elena. But, about Stefan? That's going to be a lot harder for me to do. Luckily, Bonnie squeezes my hand and with her loving green gaze, she encourages me to keep going. "Because, Uncle Stefan isn't really your uncle at all…Honey, Stefan is your real dad. Just like Elena is your real mom."

She takes a moment, shrugging her shoulders back and glancing at the picture of them all together and then she points to me, asking in a soft tone. "So, you're my second daddy?" She asks me point blank as I nod my head.

"Yes. Bonnie and I are your second family. But, Elena and Stefan are your real family. Addison, we all love you very much and the reason you're with us is because your real mommy and daddy needed to keep you safe." I tell her, hoping that she understands just a little bit as I slowly get up from her bed, leaning over to kiss her cheek. Addison places her hand onto my face, staring into my eyes as she questions. "So, I can't call Stefan, Uncle Stefan anymore?"

Bonnie laughs, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she too kisses Addison and I smile shrugging my shoulders back. "You know, we will have to call Uncle Stefan and ask him about that." I comment, giving her a tight hug and saying goodnight as Bonnie and I exit her bedroom.

"That was better than expected." Bonnie says, standing in the hallway near our bedroom door as I hold her against my chest, stroking her hair with my fingertips. "Yeah, it went over well." I say out loud, proud of both of us for finally explaining the truth. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders for having told her why she's really been living with us and who Stefan and Elena are to her. Even though, I know that it will still take a few more years until she's old enough to fully understand things. I know that Bonnie and I made the right choice in telling her.

I kiss my wife's cheek as I take a step back, exhaling deeply. I need to get back to the office because in less than 48 hours, we're going to be on our mission of arresting my own step mother for her crimes against Elena Gilbert.

"I hate to cut this short," I begin to say as Bonnie places her hand onto my chest, leaning against me. "Go arrest Annie and let's finally put this all behind us. Go do your job to the best of your ability and I promise that Addison and I will be waiting for you when you get back home. Because, you know that there is no other place that I would rather be." She smiles, encouraging me even further for the next few days. I kiss Bonnie's lips tenderly as I place my hands onto each side of her face, staring into her eyes. "I'm one lucky man to have found you, Bonnie." I tell her as she smiles at me, a look of joy in her eyes when she says with a laugh. "And, I'm a lucky woman. I love you more than you'll ever know, Damon. Now, go do your job. Agent Salvatore."

Stefan

The next morning, we don't talk about the night before, together in my bed. Instead, Elena and I are focused on getting out of this alive and well. "Now, when you go in that house." I'm instructing her, pointing to the big red door as I glance up at the large hill that we're parked on. Everyone's wired and if any of us makes a wrong move. This whole thing could go down in flames.

"She's going to recognize me." Elena comments in a worried tone as I grab a hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly. "She might. But, you need to be prepared for that…" My voice trails off as she turns to me, clearing her throat. The car's windows are foggy and it's freezing cold outside, the dead of winter as I see some of our team coming into the house, acting as regular guests and making sure to not cause much a scene.

"You know, I never meant to hurt you as much as I did, Stefan. I honestly just wanted a simple life with you and our daughter. That had always been what I had wanted. Until your parents took that away from me. Telling me that Addison would be better off without a drug addicted mother. Believe me, looking back on it now. I know they were right. I long for the days that I can hold my little girl in my arms and kiss her on the face, telling her that her momma really truly loves her. Yet, I know that those days are gone forever because of what happened. And, she's in good hands with your brother. Damon and Bonnie have raised her well." She says to me, forcing me to look up from my cell phone and stop myself from dialing Elijah's number for a moment.

"Nothing will ever be the same, Elena. You know that. But, I promise you that I'm going to bring my parents to justice for what they've done to you. No parent should ever be without their child and it's a tragedy because you lost so much time with her." Clearing my throat, Elena wipes her tears away as she sniffles and exhales, breaking down in tears when she looks at me.

"I don't want to die in prison, Stefan. I know it's what I deserve after everything that I've done to hurt so many people. I deserve a life sentence. But, I don't want to die there." She admits, the fear of her impending doom is clearly affecting her because when I look at her. Elena's got tears in her eyes, welling up into her eyes and spilling over her cheeks now.

"Listen to me." I begin to say, licking my bottom lip and trying to not make too many promises her to.

"If we pull this off without a hitch and my stepmother is found guilty. I'm going to talk to Elijah and try to reduce your sentence as much as I can. Elena, that's all I can do." I tell her truthfully, watching as she nods, heavily inhaling. Elena's hand is on the passenger side door while she nods her head at me. "You ready for this?" She asks with a deep exhale and look of fear on her face.

I lean over and grab her hand, squeezing it a bit as I lock my eyes onto hers. "Everything's going to be just fine. I promise." Elena gives me a half smile, nervously laughing as she says in a soft tone. "Just in case it isn't and something happens. I want you to know that I'm sorry for everything and that you're the only man that I have ever truly loved, Stefan Salvatore. I love you more than anything in this world. You changed my life. I think we changed each other's truthfully. I love you so much, Stefan and I've never stopped. You would have been an amazing father to Addison, if only you were given the chance. We would have been amazing together."

I don't know what possess me to do it, to feel her lips against mine. But when she leans away from me, I pull her closer with my words first. "I'm sorry too. For everything that I did and said to hurt you. When you were going through those hard times. You needed me the most and instead of being there, I trusted in my parents that they would keep you safe. But, really, I should have kept you safe. Maybe our lives would have turned out differently. Our story would have been a happy one. You know, I didn't mean what I said to you in the apartment either. Elena, I'm still helplessly in love with you." I tell her, adjusting my body and reaching my arm out so that my hand caresses her face. Elena's eyes close as she brushes her cheek against the palm of my hand and our lips meet. The kiss is soft and gentle. Much like the kiss we shared in my bed after we slept together just the night before, staying up together as we held each other until we both fell asleep in one another's arms. Content and happy. It's simple and tender. Something that I'll never regret. I back away first, my thumb lingering upon her flesh. My eyes filled with tears. "We changed each other's lives. You gave me a beautiful daughter that I've been lucky enough to watch grow up into a gorgeous little girl. I wish you would have been there, to see it. Her first steps, her first words, her first smile. You would have been so proud of her…." My voice cracks as Elena places her hand against mine and I feel her warm tears escape.

"I'm never going to forgive my parents for taking that away from you. Elena, kidnapping Addison wasn't right. It was a very stupid thing to do and it tore Bonnie and Damon apart. However, I guess I understand a little bit of why you did it." I admit, feeling her kiss the palm of my hand as she glances past me and removes her hand away from mine briskly.

"Elijah's heading this way. I guess we should go." She comments, turning around and exiting the car before I can say anything else.

Elijah knocks on the window glass of my car lightly, taking a step back when I exit my car. "Are you both one hundred percent ready for this?" He asks me as I glance over at Elena.

"Yeah, we are." I comment softly.

"So, everyone's going to have a wire fitted underneath their clothing. I want you all to scope out the place and once we feel like we've got her where we want her. Damon's going to make the call. Now, follow the plan and get into your places and positions once we get in there." He informs me as I nod at him, watching my boss place his hand onto my shoulder. "Stay focused and don't lose sight of this goal." He advises us right before Elijah pivots away from me and gives us the go ahead to move in towards the mansion.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Eight

A/N: Hey all! I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Jacquelyn, Aimee, Iva and Samantha for helping me create this story to begin with and helping me with ideas. I couldn't have made this story what it was without you lovely women! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy the last chapter of "Dangerous Minds" and this story as a whole!

Dangerous Minds- Chapter Twenty-Eight

Elijah

"Annie Salvatore" I introduce myself to her, watching her lean into me while she whispers into my ear softly. "Let's not pretend we don't know each other, Agent Mikaelson. I know why you're here. The girl's alive and you are trying to kiss my ass to save your own." She tells me, smiling as she leans back and places her hand over mine. "Agent Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson. It's a pleasure gentlemen. Come in, please make yourselves at home, boys. The event for tonight will start in a few minutes and trust me, it's going to be unforgettable."

Walking past her and into the living room where a slew of people have gathered to hear all about Annie Salvatore's charitable donations and the new one she's supposed to be announcing tonight. I give my first instruction to Damon through a small microphone that's tucked away in my jacket sleeve. "Stay out of sight, look anywhere you can for evidence and if she sees you're here tonight, pretend like Bonnie dragged you here for some fun. I don't want her even knowing the real reason as to why we're here. She can't be on to us at all, Damon. Tell your brother and Elena to do the same thing, until I give my go ahead. Stay in your positions. As far as I know, she only thinks myself and Klaus are here to keep the peace."

I can feel Klaus's hand on my shoulder as he suddenly pulls me aside and out of Annie's view. "Is everyone in their positions?" He asks me as I nod my head. "Kol and Katherine are parked down the street, doing surveillance from the van. Damon and you should head outside until she finishes her speech, that's when we move in. Elena and Stefan are hidden in one of the guest rooms. Yeah, everyone knows where to go since we got the blueprints and pictures of the house from Damon, weeks ago. Also, I'm just thankful that their father isn't here. It's just Annie and a lot of her supporters here tonight. Previous donors, new ones that she's trying to impress with the Salvatore's money and their brand new mansion."

He nods, licking his bottom lip as he looks out into the living room that's just one huge open space with caterers walking around in white coats and nicely dressed people standing around drinking from the open bar, chatting with one another. A small stage is set up in the right hand corner of the room with a microphone and two oversized speakers. "When she gets up on the stage and begins wrapping up her speech to all of these people. That's when we move in." I command them all.

Klaus gives me a worrisome look, shaking his head in disagreement. "I think we should wait to get her alone. What if we haven't found any evidence by the time she's done, Elijah? We can't just arrest her without just cause."

Scoffing, I laugh a little. If there's one thing I know about my team of agents is this. When faced with a time crunch and with trying their hardest to find evidence that may or may not exist. They never leave any stone untouched and they always produce the best results. "Have a little faith, Klaus. Because I sure as hell do. We're leaving this house today with Annie Salvatore in a pair of handcuffs. Whether she likes it or not." I wink at my brother, excusing myself to go mingle with the crowd and make things look as normal as possible.

Damon

We've been here for over an hour and I've managed to surprisingly go undetected by my stepmother. Making my way into her office, my heart is racing as my hand turns the doorknob. God knows what I'll be finding in here. The place is spotless, a desk in the corner near a window and a few plants are in another corner of the room. It's a small place. Closing the door behind me, I exhale heavily. Maybe I won't find anything as I walk towards the desk and begin rummaging through the drawers. That's when I notice it, a key in the first drawer and just as my hand goes for the last drawer at the bottom of the desk, I notice that it's locked.

"She's hiding something in a desk upstairs." I comment through my microphone wire attached underneath my clothing.

"You've got my go ahead. Her speech is half way through. Do it, Damon. Open the drawer and sweep the room." Elijah instructs me as I overhear him telling Stefan to head out towards the living room because my mother's speech is nearly over.

"You've got it boss." I respond back, holding my breath as my right hand tugs on the drawer and when I look down. I find myself in total shock. "What's in there, Damon?" Elijah asks me as I shift through the papers and just when I'm about to say that I've found nothing. A silver tin and a large heavy looking yellow envelop caught my eye.

"Not sure. But, I found something." I tell him, getting up as I pull both of the items out of the drawer and place them on top of the desk. Exhaling, I open the envelop first. News articles fall out, legal documents, a copy of plane tickets and information on Elena. Everything on her is all in my hands. Everything that convicts my stepmother of unthinkable crimes."

My eyes scan over the paperwork and old printed out e-mails written to my father about their plans to get rid of Elena, fake passports and getting her out of the country without much of a trace. News articles on her missing and all the crimes she'd committed over the years as well as her being found and added on to the FBI's most wanted list are all in my mother's desk. According to the legal documents, my mother and father had wanted to adopt Addison and raise her as their own. However, Bonnie and I stepped in first and after they forced my brother and Elena to give up their parental rights, they made the plan of making Elena disappear without a trace just so that Stefan could be free of her and so that they could be too, in case they ever decided to fight Bonnie and I for custody of Addison, their granddaughter.

"Boss, we've got our smoking gun. Both of my parents are behind the plan…Elijah, my dad was in on it too…" My voice trails off as I suddenly hear what sounds like an applause downstairs and then people screaming and yelling out of nowhere.

"What's going on down there? Elijah!" I shout out, tossing everything back inside the desk as I run down the stairs, the crowd brushing past me while I hear one of them yell out as they pass by me. "She's got a gun!" The frightened woman screams.

"We need back up! We need back up right now. Kol and Katherine, we need you in here!" I overhear as Klaus and Kol push past me, rushing into the living room while more people run as fast as they can out of the house and screams are heard ringing out.

Klaus

"Annie! Put the gun down!" Stefan screams at her, telling her to stand down as she points it towards her own head with shaking hands.

"I knew this was a setup, your father informed me of the news that the girl was alive, weeks ago. And, when I found that out. I planned this event to coax her out of hiding. So, Stefan. Where is she? I figured that you'd know better than anyone, since you two have probably been sleeping together." Annie asks as I step in front of Stefan, pointing my gun directly at Annie without flinching.

"She's not here, Annie. She's in custody for her crimes. We both know that you don't really care about Elena. What you care about is this charity and your family. Now, put the gun down, Annie. Put it down and we'll all walk out of here alive. I promise." I instruct her as I look around the room. Stefan, Damon, Elijah and I are all standing our ground as she stammers out. "My husband's got our getaway car already prepared. We're supposed to take the money and leave. I knew that you all were going to be here and I know for a fact that she's in here somewhere too! Now, where is she?" Annie screams out with a demanding tone, agitated and upset over the fact that Stefan told Elena to stay in the hiding place that we had setup for them.

"She's not here, mother." Stefan repeats himself, his hands shaking as his gun points to her and he tries once more to talk her down from hurting herself or worse, someone else. No one plans for it though, the moment that Elena hears the gun shot Annie fires off into the ceiling and she runs out into the living room, crying and shaking. "I know you want me! So, here I am, Annie. Don't hurt anyone else, take your best shot at me instead. I've caused you all this pain, I'm the one you want." Elena yells out, forcing Stefan to step in front of her protectively, shaking his head as he extends out his hand, guarding Elena from his stepmother.

"You liars!" Annie yells, her face filled with anger and hatred.

"Elena! Get out of here." Stefan warns her, locking his eyes onto her as she places her hand onto his shoulder. "No, Stefan. I don't want her hurting anyone else. I'm the one she wants." She tells him, tears streaming down her face when she adds in. "I want everyone to leave us alone. Please."

"No!" I exclaim as we all turn our attention back to Annie as she rolls her eyes. "Will everyone just shut the fuck up!" She yells at us, walking off the stage as she reaches out for Elena, fisting her hair into the palm of her hands once she gets her hands onto her. Glancing down at Elena in pain, Annie smirks an evil grin when she says. "I've been waiting years for this moment. Ever since you stepped into my Stefan's life, you ruined everything for him. And that little girl of yours is going to be way better off without a dead beat mother." She tells her.

"I've got a good shot. I'm going to take it." I mouth over to Elijah as he tells me to stand down until Annie let's Elena go.

"Let her go, Annie. We both know that you don't want to kill her! Annie, let her go!" Kol shouts out, trying to deescalate the situation. But, from the look in her eyes, we all know that this situation isn't going to end well.

"Take it!" Elijah gives me the go ahead. But, just when I aim at Annie, she lift's Elena up to her feet, using Elena's body as a shield to protect herself. With baited breath, I watch as the bullet goes through Elena's stomach and she collapses to the ground, splattering blood everywhere.

"No! Elena!" I hear as Stefan pushes past me and goes directly to her, trying to apply pressure to her wound as he yells out for someone to call for an ambulance.

"Oh my god." I whisper out, rushing over to Elena's side while I look over to see Elijah push Annie down to the ground as he says in a serious tone. "Annie Salvatore. You're under arrest for the kidnapping and the attempted murder of Elena Gilbert. And, for attempting to dispose of evidence and tampering with an investigation. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"

Annie nods as Elijah and Kol haul her out of the mansion and out to one of our squad cars.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper to Elena, stroking her cheek as her blood covered hand covers my own and she says to me. "You've chased me for years, Klaus Mikaelson. All of you have. Now, I think it's time you let me go for good…It's okay, Klaus. It wasn't your fault. It was only a matter of time before everything caught up to me. Including this."

Stefan

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I am so sorry. I love you. Please, forgive me. I love you." Elena stammers out in between shaky and uneven breathes, tears streaming down her face as the EMT's fight with her to keep her oxygen mask on and I close my eyes, tears streaming down my face too. My hands are covered in her blood as they work on her and all she does is refuse their help.

"I want to die. Please, just let me go." She says in a pained tone as I overhear one of the EMT's inform me that we're almost to the hospital. But that Elena's already lost too much blood and the damage is extensive, which means that they're not sure if she's going to make it at all when we get there.

"No, I'm not allowing you to die." I tell her, watching carefully when she takes my hand into her own, telling me that it was okay. That she was ready to accept her fate and that it was only a matter of time, that dying would give her some peace and that she'd finally see her Aunt Jenna and our baby that we had lost from her first pregnancy again. That they'd all be together in heaven, reunited and happy.

"It's what I deserve, after everything I've done. Stefan, tell Addison that I love her, no matter what she reads about me in the news. She needs to know that I loved her, and please don't let her forget me. Please know that she was the best thing that ever happened to me and I regret not being a better mother. Please, Stefan. Please, don't ever forget that I love you too. I always have. You've always been a part of my heart and soul." She says, tears sliding into her mouth as she closes her eyes and the EMT's glance over at one another, applying pressure on to her wound even more and then it happens. I watch her slip away from me, a second at a time and there isn't anything that I can do except for allow it to happen.

"She's crashing!" One of the guys says as he tells me to sit back. Leaning back against the cold feeling metal of the inside of the ambulance truck, I watch her last breath escape past her lips and her eyes shut. My eyes are glazed over with tears as I cry out in agony, telling them to continue working on her to try and save her. But, with the amount of blood on her clothes, on their hands and all over the gurney. I know in my heart that it's too late. Confirming my biggest fear, the machine attached to her flat lines and both of the men lift their hands away from her bloodied body, letting me know that Elena had a do not resuscitate order on file and they needed to follow it.

"No." I whisper out softly as I lean over her, covering my body over hers just when it's announced in the small ambulance and I hear the sirens shut off overhead. "Time of death, 1:45pm."


	28. Epilogue

Dangerous Minds- Epilogue

Three Years Later….

Bonnie

The years have seemed to pass by so quickly and as I stare out at the pond of the newly bought house that Stefan purchased, far away from Mystic Falls and all the haunting memories that have seemed to follow him over the years. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. From far in the distance, I can hear Damon and Stefan talking about moving boxes and where to put them.

Placing my hand onto my stomach, I feel myself getting nervous as I remind my mind to stay calm. These last few years have been hard on us all. A lot of things have changed and it all mostly happened after Stefan and Damon's father and stepmother were arrested for their crimes against Elena.

Her death changed us all too. Jillian and John decided to move closer to Stefan and the rest of us as Kol and Katherine moved further away. She and Kol married in Long Island and now live there with their daughter. As far as Stefan. He's struggled with Elena's death, not fully able to accept it. That's why I think he moved out of Virginia so quickly afterwards and went to live closer to his work in Washington D.C., a few hours outside of the city on a few acres with a quiet pond. A while after we told Addison about who Stefan was to her, she began the hard process of living with him part time. None of us were sure if things would go well. But, it became even more important for him to be a bigger part of her life after Elena passed away and they both struggled to understand. Just a little over three months ago, Stefan regained his full custodial rights as Addison's biological father and she asked to live with him.

It was the hardest on Damon to watch her leave our home and start to live with Stefan full time. That was until today, when they made it a permanent transition. I turn around, smiling as Addison excitedly pulls Damon into the house, wanting to show off her brand new bedroom. All the changes happened so quickly that it's been a whirl wind of emotions. Including this one. My mind drifts off as I place my hand onto my flat stomach and I smile. Damon doesn't know. I haven't managed to tell him yet. However, I just found out something that's going to change our lives. By a miracle and after many failed attempts at IVF treatments and crying in the office of my fertility doctor. I got the most life changing news ever this morning. I pull out my cell phone as I place the receiver to my ear and listen to the message again. "Hi, Mrs. Salvatore. This is Dr. Jefferson from the Harborview Medical Center. We've got some great news regarding your test results. Please give us a call back to discuss them further."

How do I tell my husband the news that I just received? How do I tell him that after so many heartbreaking years of being childless that now…

I'm pregnant.

"Elijah's planning on retiring and replacing my job title with his own." Damon comments to Stefan as he drops a box in front of him and I walk into the room, smiling nervously.

"Elijah wants to make you deputy director of the FBI?" I ask, my eyes widening as he nods his head and mentions that Kol was the one who made the recommendation to him before he left the Virginia office.

"That would mean that we'd be living in D.C. too?" I question as Damon smiles at me, walking over to me and putting his arm around me while he gives me a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Yup. We could be closer to Stefan and Addy that way." He informs me as I laugh a little, moving away from Damon for a moment and exhaling out a breath. I need to tell him; I need to just spit it out already!

"I don't know about that, Damon. Why can't he ask Klaus to take over?" I ask him as Stefan gives me a bewildered look.

"You didn't know?" Stefan asks as I shake my head. What are they talking about?

Stefan glances down at the ground as he shrugs his shoulders and takes a deep breath. His voice is shaky when he explains why Klaus can't take over. I haven't heard anything about Klaus Mikaelson over the last few years. Ever since he shot Elena and she died, all I knew about him was that he was seeking counseling and trying to make amends with what he had done on the job.

"Klaus left the FBI a year ago. He moved himself and his wife to Europe. To London to be closer to his wife's parents and so that they could raise their children there. Last I heard from Elijah. He said Klaus was really struggling with his inner demons. Elijah finally admitted to me that about three months ago, Klaus couldn't take it anymore and he drove home drunk one night. His car crashed into a pole on an icy country road as he was going home and he died instantly from the impact. Klaus is dead."

"Oh my god." Covering my mouth, I feel the tears brimming on to my eyelashes. Turning around, I exhale deeply. "I couldn't even imagine what that must have been like for his daughter and newly born little boy. His wife too."

"Hey. Shh, Bon." Damon says to me in a comforting way, rushing over to my side as his arms wrap around me and I bury my face into the curve of his neck, sobbing. Damon's hand rubs my back while he kisses my face and then he pulls away, locking his eyes onto me. "Babe. What's going on?" He asks as I continue crying and I stammer it out at the most inappropriate time. "I'm pregnant, Damon….I'm crying because I'm sad. But, I'm also two months pregnant." I tell him admittingly, wailing sobs against his shirt as Stefan and Damon both exhale deeply and I clutch onto my husband, looking up at him briefly while his stunned face tells me all. He's just as scared as I am.

Stefan

The quiet house makes me feel lonelier than I've felt in a long time.

But, her soft voice and curios tone make my heart warm as she steps into my office, knocking on the door lightly. "Daddy…" Addison's voice trails off as if she's almost unsure of calling me her father.

"Yeah, baby?" I ask, looking up at her with a beaming smile when she finally makes her way into my office. I notice an envelope in her hands. When she hands it to me and says. "It's addressed to you, dad."

I know exactly who it's from just by looking at the hand writing.

It's from her.

"Will you excuse me for a few minutes?" Addison nods, pausing at the entrance to my office door as she turns around and says in a soft tone. "She left me one too, daddy….I wish I would have known her better. I think she would have loved me a lot."

"She did love you a lot, baby. She loved you more than you will ever know." I comment, watching Addison exit the room as I take a seat in the chair behind me and close my eyes. My hands are shaking as they open up the white envelope and I glance over at the hand writing. It's addressed from three years earlier; the last night she was in my apartment. The last night we were together.

January 16, 2015

Dear Stefan,

I don't know how to put this into words. Being with you tonight has brought back so many memories for me that it makes me hate myself for what I've done to hurt you. I promised myself that if we saw each other again that I wouldn't lie about how I felt for you. I promised myself that I wouldn't use you anymore either. I've done that already to way too many people and I've hurt so many along the way without manipulating them. I guess the manipulation aspect of my personality grew a lot more after I robbed the bank in Prague with Owen by my side. He taught me everything that I needed to do to get exactly what I wanted and it worked for a long time. Deceiving. Manipulating and worming my way into people's lives, acting as if I was someone extraordinarily important was a great way to mask what was really going on- what I was really hiding from the world. My pain.

The loss of giving Addison up destroyed me. But at the time, I really did think and I still do think that she's better off with Damon and Bonnie. Maybe even one day, she'll be better with you. I know that because I'll be thrown back into prison and she will never fully get the chance to know me. But, I'm going to write her a letter too and I'm going to make her a promise. I promise Addison that after my sentence is handed down to me. I am going to make myself a better person- for her. While I'm away, I want our daughter to know that she'll always be a part of me and that I've always loved her. Even when she was just a little bean growing in my belly, I knew that she was going to turn into an extremely wonderful little girl and I have no doubt that she'll be an even more spectacular young woman.

You know, after Jenna died and I lost our first baby. I started to feel hollow inside. I didn't think that I could learn to love and just simple learn to feel human again. However, throughout your love and support- I dug myself out for a while. I was good and happy whenever I was with you and tonight, it reminded me of that. Even though my happiness was short lived and I turned to drugs to numb myself after Addison was taken away from me. I never stopped once believing that I could feel a small shred of happiness again. So, thank you for reminding me of what it feels like to be happy.

Being on the run from the agency was exhilarating. Being someone I wasn't, in every new place I discovered was a high that I was addicted too. I thought it was fun, I'm not going to lie and tell you that it wasn't. Because, truth is- I now realize what I was doing. I was running from my past and from my demons. I was running from everything that reminded me of you. The ones that I had left behind the night my daughter and my rights as a parent were stripped from me. The ones that had haunted me every single night I'd fall asleep to the shrieking noises of agony in the women's shelter that your parents had dropped me off at. I was running from the things that haunted me. I was running from my own fears.

Stefan, I know that you'll probably never forgive me fully for my crimes and I don't blame you for that. I honestly don't think I'm ever going to fully forgive myself either. However, I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for taking the chance of being an amazing father to our little girl away from you. I'm sorry for hurting you and for breaking your heart with my cruel words the other night. I'm pretty sure that you're sorry for your words as well.

Just know this and believe it. Because, it's true. You were always the love of my life and no matter what happens in our journey. I want you to know that I have always loved you, Stefan Salvatore. Thank you for loving such a broken soul and making her whole again- even if it was just for one night. I'm never going to forget the way that you've loved me. I'm never going to forget the way you've made me feel tonight. Whole again. Alive again. Home again.

Love always,

Elena

A/N: I will NOT be writing a sequel at all for this story nor do I have a desire to write one. So, this is the final end to Dangerous Minds and this concludes the story. Once again, thank you all for reading and I hope you all have enjoyed reading! :)


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